Fraser's dolphins. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Fraser's dolphins. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
About the Species
Fraser's dolphins. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Fraser's dolphins. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
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 (MMPA). NOAA Fisheries and its partners are working to conserve Fraser’s dolphins and further our understanding of this species through research and conservation activities.
Population 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:
- Hawaiian stock
- Northern Gulf of America* (formerly Gulf of Mexico) stock
- Western North Atlantic stock
Our scientists estimate that there are about 10,000 Fraser's dolphins in the Hawaiian stock and 213 in the Gulf of America stock. The number of Fraser's dolphins in the western North Atlantic stock is unknown.
Appearance
Fraser’s dolphins have a stocky body with a small, distinct rostrum. Their dorsal fin—located midway down their back—is small and triangular. Their flippers and flukes are smaller than those of other dolphin species. Males are slightly longer and heavier than females, with a more distinct color pattern.
All Fraser's dolphins have a dark stripe that extends down their side from eye to pectoral flipper. The exact shape of the stripe varies based on geography and sex, with males tending to have a thicker, darker stripe than females. Their upper body is 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. Groups of individuals sometimes swim in long "chorus line” formations. They are also sometimes seen in mixed groups with other cetacean species such as false killer whales, melon-headed whales, Risso's dolphins, and short-finned pilot whales.
Fraser's dolphins in some parts of the world are cryptic and hard to find, making observations of this species rare. In other areas, this species may be less cryptic and may be curious around 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 prey. Dolphins do not use their teeth to chew their prey, instead once the prey are caught, they are swallowed whole.
Where They Live
Fraser's dolphins are found in warm, temperate, subtropical, and tropical waters around the world. They prefer to live in areas with deep waters (3,300 feet deep) and are often found in areas of upwelling (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, usually in locations with mountainous coasts.
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). Gestation lasts for about 10 to 12.5 months and females 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. This species 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 Fraser's 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.
*Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” (Jan. 20, 2025), directs that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. Gulf of America references in this website refer to the same area as the Gulf of Mexico in the applicable regulations under 50 CFR parts 216–219, 222–226, and 600–699. The name change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations. This website continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” when quoting statutes, existing regulations, or previously published materials.
Scientific Classification
| Animalia |
Chordata |
Mammalia |
Cetacea |
Delphinidae |
Lagenodelphis |
hosei |
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 04/24/2025
