© Chris Martin/ WWF
Species

Common bottlenose dolphin

Diet

It feeds on mullets, sardines, cod, octopi and cuttlefish.

Size

2-4 m long, 270-350 kg in weight.

Lifespan

Up to 55 years.

Level of conservation

Least concern (IUCN, 2018)

The bottlenose dolphin is a marine mammal belonging to the infraorder Cetacea and the family of Delphinidae. It is the second largest dolphin in the Greek seas, and the species most commonly encountered in the country’s coastal waters.

External features

Its back is dark grey in color, lacking any diistinct patterns or markings, while its belly is lighter grey or white-pink. Despite its large size, it swims at speeds of up to 30km per hour, and it performs impressive jumps as high as 8m.

Habitat

It lives in all coastal areas of Greece. It is the second most common dolphin in Greece and the only cetacean living in the Amvrakikos Gulf.

Population in Greece

There is no accurate estimate of the population size in Greece.

Fun Fact!

One of its favorite games is to swim after ships.