Field Guide
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White-beaked Dolphin
Lagenorhynchus albirostris
Not yet photographed by the community
White beak and flank patches; common in northern UK seas.
Species Profile
Least Concern (IUCN); no specific UK Red or Amber List designation, though populations are monitored.
- Lifespan
- 25–35 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 1.7–2.7 m long; 200–350 kg
- Habitat
- Cool temperate and sub-arctic waters, typically found in coastal and continental shelf regions of the North Atlantic.
- UK Distribution
- Found around the coasts of Scotland, Northern England, and occasionally around Wales and southwest England; present year-round with highest sightings in winter months.
- Diet
- Primarily small fish including capelin, herring, sand eels, and cod, supplemented with squid and crustaceans.
- Prey
- Capelin, herring, sand eels, Atlantic cod, squid
- Predators
- Orcas (killer whales) and large sharks; calves may be vulnerable to predation by larger dolphin species.
- Mating Season
- Spring to summer, typically April to June
- Breeding
- Single calf born after 10–11 month gestation period; calves are weaned at approximately 18 months; females breed every 2–3 years.
- Behaviour
- Highly social animals found in groups of 5–15 individuals, sometimes forming larger aggregations. They are active foragers, often seen leaping and splashing at the surface. White-beaked dolphins are relatively vocal, using clicks and whistles for communication and echolocation.
- •They are named for their distinctive white or pale grey beak, which becomes more prominent with age.
- •White-beaked dolphins are one of the few cetacean species that thrive in the cold waters of UK seas.
- •They often interact with commercial fishing vessels and may feed on fish discards from trawlers.
- •Their population in UK waters is estimated at several thousand individuals, making them regular inhabitants of northern British waters.
- •They can dive to depths of over 600 metres in search of prey.
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