Fraser's Dolphin

About the Species

Fraser's dolphins are found in deep, tropical waters worldwide. They are active swimmers and are usually found in groups of 10 to 100 individuals, but they sometimes travel in groups of up to 1,000.

Francis Fraser, a scientist from the British Museum, first described this species in 1956 based on a skull found on a beach in Borneo. It was not until 1971, however, that scientists first documented Fraser’s dolphins in the wild.

Fraser’s dolphins, like all marine mammals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NOAA Fisheries and its partners are working to conserve Fraser’s dolphins and further our understanding of this species through research and conservation activities.

Status

NOAA Fisheries estimates population size in its stock assessment reports.

While the worldwide population of Fraser's dolphins is unknown, scientists estimate that at least 100,000 to 289,000 Fraser’s dolphins live in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

To manage Fraser's dolphins in U.S. waters, we have divided them into three stocks: the Hawaiian stock, the northern Gulf of Mexico stock, and the western North Atlantic stock. Our scientists estimate that there are about 10,000 dolphins in the Hawaiian stock; the number of dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico and western North Atlantic stocks is unknown.

Protected Status

Appearance

Fraser’s dolphins have a stocky body with a small, distinct beak. Their dorsal fin—located midway down their back—is small and triangle-shaped. Their flippers and flukes are smaller than those of other dolphin species. Males are slightly longer and heavier than females. They also have more distinct color patterns.

All Fraser's dolphins have a dark stripe that extends down their side from eye to flipper. This stripe reminds some people of a raccoon or "bandit" mask. The exact shape of the stripe varies based on geography and sex. Their upper body is a bluish or brownish-gray, while their underside is usually pale white or pink. Calves are usually less colorful than adults.

Behavior and Diet

Fraser's dolphins are usually found in large, tight groups of 10 to 100 individuals, but they have sometimes been seen in groups of up to 1,000 individuals. They are also sometimes seen in mixed groups with related species such as false killer whales, melon-headed whales, Risso's dolphins, and short-finned pilot whales.

Fraser’s dolphins are aggressive and splashy swimmers creating a distinctive spray of water. Groups of individuals sometimes swim in long "chorus line” formations. Fraser's dolphins in some parts of the world are shy and hard to find, while those living in other area are friendly and curious when interacting with vessels.

Fraser's dolphins can dive up to 2,000 feet to feed on deep-sea fish, crustaceans (such as shrimp), and cephalopods (such as squid and octopus). They have 20 to 44 pairs of small, cone-shaped teeth to help them catch rey.

Where They Live

Fraser's dolphins are found in warm, temperate, subtropical, and tropical waters around the world. They prefer to live in deep waters (3,300 feet deep) and are often found in areas of upwelling (areas where cold, nutrient-rich water rises toward the surface). They also live near coastlines or where the continental shelf (the edge of a continent below the ocean’s surface) is narrow.

Stranded Fraser's dolphins have sometimes been reported in places outside of their typical range, such as southern Australia, France, western Scotland, and Uruguay.

Lifespan & Reproduction

Fraser’s dolphins live about 18 years and become sexually mature when they are 5 to 10 years old (females at 5 to 8 years, males at 7 to 10 years). Females are pregnant for about 10 to 12.5 months and give birth to a single calf every 2 years, usually between spring and autumn.

Threats

Interactions with Fishing Gear

One of the main threats to Fraser’s dolphins is getting caught in fishing gear. Dolphins can become entangled or captured in commercial fishing gear such as gillnets, seines, trawls, trap pots, and longlines. Specifically, they have been caught in tuna purse seine fisheries in the eastern tropical Pacific and the Philippines. These interactions can injure dolphins or kill them by entanglement in the gear.

Hunting

Fisheries in Indonesia, Japan, the Lesser Antilles, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka hunt and kill Fraser’s dolphins for meat and oil.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Cetacea
Family	Delphinidae
Genus	Lagenodelphis
Species	hosei