White-Beaked Dolphin

About the Species

White-beaked dolphins are found throughout the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. They are active swimmers and often “surf” the waves created by vessels. They are usually found in groups of five to 30 individuals but sometimes travel in groups of up to 1,500.

White-beaked dolphins hunt for food both near the water’s surface and along the ocean bottom. Some fishermen in Canada call these dolphins “squidhounds” because they eat squid and octopi.

White-beaked dolphins, like all marine mammals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NOAA Fisheries and its partners are working to conserve white-beaked dolphins and advance our understanding of this species through research and conservation activities.

Status

NOAA Fisheries estimates population size in its stock assessment reports. 

The worldwide population of white-beaked dolphins is unknown.

To manage white-beaked dolphins in U.S. waters, we have placed them into a western North Atlantic stock. Based on recent surveys, our scientists estimate that there are about 2,000 dolphins in this stock.

Appearance

White-beaked dolphins are about 8 to 10.5 feet long and weigh about 395 to 770 pounds. Males are usually larger than females. Both males and females have a streamlined, robust body with a small beak and a large, tall, curved dorsal fin. Their body is mostly dark gray or black on the upper sides and back with light gray or white patches on their sides, back, and underside. The dorsal fin, flippers, and flukes are mostly dark. Their beaks, which are very short and thick, also have white “lips.” White-beaked dolphins have 22 to 28 pairs of small, cone-shaped teeth in each jaw.

Behavior and Diet

White-beaked dolphins usually travel in groups of five to 30 individuals but are sometimes found in groups of up to 1,500 individuals. These groups can be organized by age and sex. White-beaked dolphins are sometimes seen in groups with other species, such as fin whales, humpback whales, and other small dolphins such as bottlenose and Atlantic white-sided dolphins.

White-beaked dolphins are active swimmers. They often breach and jump at the water’s surface and will sometimes "surf" the waves created by vessels.

White-beaked dolphins eat schooling fish (e.g., haddock, cod, and herring), crustaceans (e.g., shrimp and crabs), and cephalopods (e.g., squid and octopi). They typically work together to catch fish at the water’s surface but will also feed along the ocean bottom. They have 22 to 28 pairs of small, cone-shaped teeth in each jaw.

Where They Live

White-beaked dolphins are found in colder temperate and subpolar waters throughout the North Atlantic Ocean. Their range includes the waters of eastern North America (Massachusetts to Newfoundland), northern Europe, Scandinavia, Greenland, the United Kingdom, and the Barents Sea. Their distribution in U.S. waters is limited. They prefer waters less than 650 feet deep.

The distribution of this species varies with the seasons. Most white-beaked dolphins move south and farther offshore during the winter months. They then return north and closer to shore once the ice recedes during the warmer summer months.

Lifespan & Reproduction

The estimated lifespan of white-beaked dolphins is unknown. They reach sexual maturity when they are 7 to 12 years old. Females are pregnant for about 11 months and give birth to a single calf, usually between May and September. Calves are about 4 feet long and weigh about 90 pounds at birth.

Threats

Entanglement

One of the main threats to white-beaked dolphins is becoming entangled or captured in commercial fishing gear such as gillnets, cod traps, and trawl nets. These interactions can cause dolphins to be injured or killed.

Hunting

White-beaked dolphins are sometimes targeted and hunted for meat and oil in waters off Canada (Labrador and Newfoundland), Greenland, Iceland, and Norway.

Ocean noise

White-beaked dolphins rely on sound to communicate and echolocate. Noise interference from vessels, as well as industrial and military activities, disturbs white-beaked dolphins’ feeding, communication, and orientation. Increasing evidence suggests that exposure to intense underwater sound in some settings may cause some dolphins to strand and ultimately die. If loud enough, noise can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Cetacea
Family	Delphinidae
Genus	Lagenorhynchus
Species	albirostris