Common dolphin

The common dolphin is the most common dolphin in UK waters. However many people confuse it with the bottle-nosed dolphin which is much more familiar as it frequently features in films, is commonly found in shallow waters and is often kept in captivity.

Common dolphins prefer deeper, open waters and are not kept in dolphinaria. They can occur in pods of many hundreds and are often seen off headlands like Berry Head, sometimes coming in close in pursuit of fish. This specimen was found dead at Chesil beach, in Dorset and donated to RAMM under a Natural England licence.

Object Summary

Accession Loan No.
73/2023/41
Collection Class
Mammals
Collection Area Region
Northern Europe
Common Name
common dolphin
Simple Name
mammal: skeleton
Production Town
Production Person Initials
MF
Production Person Surname
MC
Production Year Low
Production Year High

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DELPHINIDAE: Delphinus delphis Linnaeus: common dolphin