Tag Archives: Risso’s Dolphins

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Several Coast residents were treated to the sight of two dozen or so Dolphins obviously feeding, as they stayed for over three hours. Ken Bailey took this photo of what I think are Pacific White-sided Dolphins. However, Jodi Smith, of Naked Whale Research, looked at the photos and she says they are Risso's Dolphins. One can be seen breaching.

Pacific White-sided Dolphin breaching by Ken Bailey

Joel Chaban got a photo of their dorsal fins, which you can see slope backward at the top.

Dolphins feeding at Cooks Beach by Joel Chaban

These Dolphins eat mostly squid and some medium-sized fish.  They are not as acrobatic as Pacific White-sided Dolphins but young Risso's Dolphins can be seen breaching, as in Ken's photo.

To learn more about whales, especially Killer Whales, here is the link to Jodi Smith's Naked Whale Research website: http://www.nakedwhaleresearch.org/

Thanks to Ken and Joel for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see more of Ken's nature photography, here is his website: http://www.seadreams.org/

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John Batchelder saw a pod of what he thought were dolphins or perhaps Killer Whales. They were Risso's Dolphins and many were breaching. Using his long lens, John got these photos. Risso's Dolphin breaching by John Batchelder Risso's Dolphins by John Batchelder Risso's Dolphins prey on Humboldt Squid and their bodies can be marked by the squids' beaks. The more scars, the older the dophin is. Here is a close-up of a Risso's Dolphin taken by Ron LeValley. Risso's Dolphin 1 by Ron LeValley Thanks to John and Ron for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Ron's nature photography, his website is: http://www.levalleyphoto.com/home/

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I love these dolphins. Risso's Dolphins look like no others, with their rounded heads and scarred bodies. Ron LeValley got these fantastic photos of them.

They usually are about ten feet long, though they can get as big as fourteen feet long.

Risso's Dolphins feed on Squid and the scars on their bodies are believed to be from their encounters with their prey.

Risso's often travel in large pods and have been seen surfing waves and even the wakes of Gray Whales.
The male is a little bigger than the female. Here Ron shows you what their dorsal fins look like. 

Many thanks to Ron for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Ron's photography, here is his website: http://www.levalleyphoto.com/home/