White-Beaked Dolphin

Protected Status

CITES Appendix II

Throughout Its Range

MMPA Protected

Throughout Its Range

Quick Facts

Weight

396 to 772 pounds

Lifespan

Unknown

Length

7.8 to 10.2 feet

Threats

Entanglement in fishing gear, Hunting (Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and Norway), Ocean noise

Region

New England/Mid-Atlantic

See Regulatory Actions

White-beaked Dolphin. Credit: Brian Gratwicke (CC BY 2.0)

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.

Population 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.

Protected Status

CITES Appendix II

Throughout Its Range

MMPA Protected

Throughout Its Range

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, sei whales and other small dolphins such as bottlenose, short-beaked common dolphins, Risso’s dolphins and Atlantic white-sided dolphins. Cooperative feeding has been observed.

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, hakes, cod, herring and whiting), 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.

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 (north of Portugal), 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 seven 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 3.6 to 4 feet long and weigh about 88.2 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

What We Do

Conservation & Management

NOAA Fisheries is committed to the protection of white-beaked dolphins. Targeted management actions taken to secure protections for these dolphins include:

Overseeing marine mammal health and stranding response
Addressing ocean noise
Educating the public about white-beaked dolphins and the threats they face

Learn more about our conservation efforts

Science

Our research projects have discovered new aspects of white-beaked dolphin biology, behavior, and ecology and helped us better understand the challenges that all white-beaked dolphins face. Our work includes:

Stock assessments
Monitoring population abundance and distribution

Learn more about our research

How You Can Help

Keep Your Distance

Be responsible when viewing marine life in the wild. Observe all dolphins and porpoises from a safe distance of at least 50 yards and limit your time spent observing to 30 minutes or less.

Learn more about our marine life viewing guidelines >

Report Marine Life in Distress

Report a sick, injured, entangled, stranded, or dead animal to make sure professional responders and scientists know about it and can take appropriate action. Numerous organizations around the country are trained and ready to respond. Never approach or try to save an injured or entangled animal yourself—it can be dangerous to both the animal and you.

Learn who you should contact when you encounter a stranded or injured marine animal >

Report a Violation

Call the NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964 to report a federal marine resource violation. This hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone in the United States.

You may also contact your closest NOAA Office of Law Enforcement field office during regular business hours.

In the Spotlight

Management Overview

White-beaked dolphins, like all marine mammals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. In the United States, NOAA Fisheries works to protect all stocks of white-beaked dolphins.

Conservation Efforts

Overseeing Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response

We work with volunteer networks in all coastal states to respond to marine mammal strandings including all dolphins and porpoises. When stranded animals are found alive, NOAA Fisheries and our partners assess the animal’s health and determine the best course of action. When stranded animals are found dead, our scientists work to understand and investigate the cause of death. Although the cause often remains unknown, scientists can sometimes attribute strandings to disease, harmful algal blooms, vessel strikes, fishing gear entanglements, pollution exposure, and underwater noise. Some strandings can serve as indicators of ocean health, giving insight into larger environmental issues that may also have implications for human health and welfare.

Learn more about the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program

Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events

White-beaked dolphins have never been part of a declared unusual mortality event. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, an unusual mortality event is defined as "a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response." To understand the health of marine mammal populations, scientists study unusual mortality events.

Get information on active and past UMEs

Get an overview of marine mammal UMEs

Addressing Ocean Noise

NOAA Fisheries is investigating all aspects of acoustic communication and hearing in marine animals, as well as the effects of sound on dolphin behavior and hearing. In 2018, we revised technical guidance for assessing the effects of anthropogenic (human-caused) sound on marine mammals’ hearing.

Learn more about ocean noise

Educating the Public

NOAA Fisheries aims to increase public awareness and support for white-beaked dolphin conservation through education, outreach, and public participation. We share information with the public about the status of white-beaked dolphins, as well as our research and efforts to promote their recovery.

Key Actions and Documents

Incidental Take

Incidental Take Authorization: Scripps Institution of Oceanography Low-energy Marine Geophysical Survey in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

NOAA Fisheries issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to Scripps Institution of Oceanography to incidentally harass, by Level B and Level A harassment, marine mammals during a low-energy marine geophysical survey in the Northwest Atlantic…

Notice

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Published

06/15/2018

Incidental Take Authorization: U.S. Navy Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) along Atlantic and Gulf Coasts (2018-2025)

NOAA Fisheries has issued regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the training and testing activities conducted in the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Study Area…

Proposed Rule

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

Foreign

Effective

11/14/2018

Incidental Take Authorization: U.S. Navy Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (2013 -2018)

NOAA Fisheries issued regulations under the MMPA to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to training and testing activities conducted in the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Study Area from November 2013 through…

Final Rule

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

Foreign

Published

12/04/2013

Incidental Take Authorization: NOAA Fisheries NEFSC Fisheries and Ecosystem Research Activities in the Atlantic Ocean

NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources has issued an LOA and regulations under the MMPA to govern the unintentional take of small numbers of marine mammals incidental to fisheries research conducted by the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries…

Final Rule

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Published

08/11/2016

Science Overview

NOAA Fisheries conducts various research activities on the biology, behavior, and ecology of white-beaked dolphins. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions for this species.

Stock Assessments

Determining the size of white-beaked dolphin populations helps resource managers determine the success of conservation measures. Our scientists collect population information and present the data in annual stock assessment reports.

Monitoring Population Abundance and Distribution

Scientists observe white-beaked dolphins to record their numbers and distribution. By comparing numbers collected over multiple years, scientists can look for trends—e.g., whether the population is increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable during a given period.

Outreach & Education

Educational Materials

Dolphin Friendly Fishing Tips Sign

This sign is often posted near boat ramps, piers, docks, marinas, and waterfront parks.

Southeast

Educational Materials

Protect Wild Dolphins Sign

This sign is often posted near boat ramps, piers, docks, marinas, and waterfront parks.

Southeast

Educational Materials

Don't Feed Wild Dolphin Sign

This sign is often posted near boat ramps, piers, docks, marinas, and waterfront parks.

Southeast

White-Beaked Dolphin