Atlantic Humpback Dolphin

Atlantic Humpback Dolphin

Sousa teuszii

Protected Status

ESA Endangered - Foreign
Throughout Its Range
MMPA Protected
Throughout Its Range
CITES Appendix I
Throughout Its Range

Quick Facts

Region
Foreign
Three humpback dolphin swimming at the ocean's surface. Atlantic humpback dolphins swimming off the coast of Guinea, West Africa. Credit: Dr. Tilen Genov, Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin.

Atlantic humpback dolphins swimming off the coast of Guinea, West Africa. Credit: Dr. Tilen Genov, Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin.

About the Species

The Atlantic humpback dolphin is a coastal species endemic to tropical and subtropical eastern Atlantic nearshore waters of western Africa, ranging from Morocco to Angola. This species occurs exclusively in shallow (<30 m) depths, in warm nearshore waters, and in dynamic habitats strongly influenced by tidal patterns (e.g., sandbanks, deltas, estuaries, and mangrove systems). 

Atlantic humpback dolphin populations are small and fragmented, ranging from the tens to low hundreds of individuals. Available information indicates that the species probably includes fewer than 3,000 individuals. 

Threats to the Atlantic humpback dolphin include fisheries bycatch and prey depletion, deliberate capture, coastal development, and anthropogenic noise. Bycatch of Atlantic humpback dolphins in artisanal gillnets is considered widespread throughout the species’ range and is the primary threat facing the species.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Cetacea
Family Delphinidae
Genus Sousa
Species teuszii

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 11/26/2024

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Pair of bottlenose dolphins Pair of bottlenose dolphins. Credit: NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center/Lisa Morse.
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A humpback mother and calf swimming off the West Coast A humpback mother and calf swimming off the West Coast. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Ed Lyman. NOAA Fisheries Permit #14682.
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Gray whales swimming Gray whales were nearly hunted to extinction by commercial whaling. Protections under the MMPA, ESA, and the end of commercial whaling have allowed the species to recover. Credit: NOAA Fisheries (Permit #19091).
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Management Overview

The Atlantic humpback dolphin is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

The Atlantic humpback dolphin is protected throughout its range under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Additionally, the Atlantic humpback dolphin is listed under:

Regulatory History

In 2021, NOAA Fisheries received a petition to list the Atlantic humpback dolphin as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. In our 90-day finding, we concluded that the petitioned action may be warranted. After completing a Status Review, we proposed to list the species as endangered and requested comments from the public. In 2024, NOAA Fisheries listed the Atlantic humpback dolphin as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Key Actions and Documents

Actions & Documents

Final Rule to List the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin as Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act

We, NOAA Fisheries, are issuing a final rule to list the Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, in response to a petition from the Animal Welfare Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity, and VIVA…
Final Rule,
Foreign
Effective

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 11/26/2024

Documents

Document

Endangered Species Act Status Review Report: Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (Sousa teuszii)

This report is the status review for the Atlantic humpback dolphin. This report summarizes the best…

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Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 11/26/2024