# Spinner Dolphin (*Stenella longirostris*) Spinner dolphins are playful and love to jump out of the water! They are friendly creatures that often swim in groups called pods. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Also known as:** Long-snouted Dolphin, Stenella longirostris ![Spinner Dolphin](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425914/objects/4512.jpg) ## Appearance The Spinner Dolphin has a sleek, torpedo-shaped body with a dark grey back, light grey sides, and a white belly. It often features a dark stripe from its eye to its flipper. Its long, slender snout and dark eye patch distinguish it from other dolphins. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Cetacea - **Family:** Delphinidae - **Genus:** Stenella ## Interesting facts - Spinner dolphins can gather in 'super-pods' of thousands of individuals! - Their amazing spins are thought to communicate, clean, or even play! - They are named for their incredible acrobatic aerial spins! - They nap by resting near the surface, with half their brain asleep at a time! ## Special abilities - **Acrobatic Spinner:** Spinner Dolphins can leap and spin mid-air because of their powerful tails, stunning prey and signaling to others. - **Sonar Sense:** Spinner Dolphins use echolocation to navigate and find food in the dark ocean depths, sending out clicks and listening for echoes. - **Team Hunter:** Spinner Dolphins hunt cooperatively, herding schools of fish into tight balls that helps them catch more food efficiently. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 170-240 cm - **Weight:** 60-90 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-25 years - **Speed:** 40 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1 - **Gestation:** 310-330 days ## Diet & Feeding These speedy dolphins eat small fish, squid, and shrimp that they hunt in deep ocean waters. - **Primary Foods:** lanternfish, flying squid, shrimp, hatchetfish - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Orcas are apex predators and will occasionally prey on dolphins. - **Eaten by:** [Great White Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-white-shark) (*Carcharodon carcharias*) — Large sharks sometimes prey on young or vulnerable dolphins. - **Hunts:** [Lanternfish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lanternfish) (*Myctophum affine*) — Spinner dolphins primarily hunt these small, schooling fish at night. - **Hunts:** Purpleback Flying Squid (*Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis*) — Squid are a significant part of their diet, especially during deep-water hunts. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Echolocation](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/echolocation): Echolocation is a biological sonar used by animals to navigate, hunt, and communicate by emitting sound waves and interpreting the echoes. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch dolphins from a distance and never try to touch them in the wild. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Spinner Dolphin? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Spinner Dolphin? 170-240 cm ### How much does Spinner Dolphin weigh? 60-90 kg ### How long does Spinner Dolphin live? 20-25 years ### How fast can Spinner Dolphin move? 40 km/h ### What does Spinner Dolphin eat? These speedy dolphins eat small fish, squid, and shrimp that they hunt in deep ocean waters. ### How does Spinner Dolphin hunt? Pursuit ### How many babies does Spinner Dolphin usually have? 1 ## Where to spot - [Allerton Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/allerton-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden - [Kahaluu Bay](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kahaluu-bay) — Hawaii, US · Historic District - [National Tropical Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/national-tropical-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden - [Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alaka-i-wilderness-preserve) — Hawaii, US · Nature Reserve - [Ogasawara National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ogasawara-national-park) — Ogasawara Islands / Tokyo administration, JP · Park [View all places to see Spinner Dolphin](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/spinner-dolphin) ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Spinner Dolphin: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spinner-dolphin)