Tursiops truncatus
Identification.
Grey, darker on top fading lighter underneath, with a short beak and sickle-shaped dorsal fin. Adults run 2-4m and up to about 650kg, with males larger.
Galápagos context.
Local bottlenose dolphins carry more body fat than populations elsewhere, an adaptation to Galapagos' cooler pelagic water for deep, cold-water diving.
Encounter context.
Seen both at the surface and occasionally mid-dive. Highly acrobatic, with breaching, tail-slapping and bow-riding common, and can trigger visible bioluminescence at night.
Seasonality.
Present year-round.