Types Of Dolphins

If you have ever seen dolphins, either in reel or in real life, you would not have escaped the aura of these magnificent creatures. The most beautiful image of dolphins is of them breaching before the bow of a boat. The beauty and innocence of the dolphins also makes one loathe the brutality of man that has nearly driven this species to extinction. Isn’t it disheartening that one of the fastest, one of the most intelligent and one of the most beautiful creatures is being forced to its doom because of the uncontrollable greed of humans. Legends abound of dolphins saving shipwreck sailors and also other creatures.Many people have reported instances of dolphins circling around swimmers to ward off sharks. Perhaps the most famous dolphin ‘Willy’, of ‘Free Willy’ fame, was lucky to escape a fate that not many dolphins are blessed with. If you are a dolphin lover, you must be aware of what we are talking about. Coming to the beautiful creatures, you should be aware of the fact that there are two categories of dolphins - the salt-water dolphins and the fresh water dolphins and under these fall the various sub-types of dolphins. Read the lines given below to learn more about the various types of dolphin.

Different Kinds Of Dolphins

FAMILY Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)

Genus Delphinus

Long-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis)
Short-Beaked Common Dolphin, (Delphinus delphis)

Genus Tursiops

Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncates)

Genus Lissodelphis

Northern Right whale Dolphin (Lissodelphis borealis)
Southern Rightwhale Dolphin (Lissiodelphis peronii)

Genus Sotalia

Tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis)

Genus Sousa

Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin (Sousa chinensis)
Chinese White Dolphin (Sousa chinensis chinensis)
Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin (Sousa teuszii)

Genus Stenella

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis)
Clymene Dolphin (Stenella clymene)
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin (Stenella attenuate)
Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris)
Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)

Genus Steno

Rough-Toothed Dolphin (Steno bredanensis)

Genus Cephalorynchus

Chilean Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia)
Commerson's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii)
Heaviside's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii)
Hector's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori)

Genus Grampus

Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus)

Genus Lagenodelphis

Fraser's Dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei)

Genus Lagenorhyncus

Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus)
Dusky Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscures)
Hourglass Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus cruciger)
Pacific White-Sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)
Peale's Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus australis)
White-Beaked Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris)

Genus Orcaella

Australian Snubfin Dolphin (Orcaella heinsohni)
Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris)

Genus Peponocephalia

Melon-headed Whale (Peponocephalia electra)

Genus Orcinus

Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)

Genus Feresa

Pygmy Killer Whale (Feresa attenuate)

Genus Pseudorca

False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens)

Genus Globicephala

Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas)
Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)

FAMILY: Platanistoidea (River Dolphins)

Genus Inia

Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis)

Genus Lipotes

Chinese River Dolphin (Lipotes vexillife)

Genus Platanista

Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica)
Indus River Dolphin (Platanista minor)

Genus Pontoporia

La Plata Dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei)

FAMILY Delphinidae (Whales)

Melon-headed Whale (Peponocephalia electra)
Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)
Pygmy Killer Whale (Feresa attenuate)
False Killer Whale (Psudoorca crassidens)
Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas)
Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)

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