Common Dolphin

The common dolphin belongs to the infraorder of cetaceans and the Delphinidae family. It was once the most widespread species in the Mediterranean. It is usually observed far from the coast and, together with the striped dolphin and the bottlenose dolphin, it is one of the three small bodied species of dolphins found in the Greek seas. It is considered one of the smartest marine mammals and lives in large communities. It has its own codes of communication, usually thought that no species, other than humans, could have.

External features

It has a slender and firm body, a pointed and long snout and a slightly sloping forehead. Its dorsal fin is tall/high and has the shape of a crescent. It is notable for its colors, which differ significantly from other dolphin species, combining gray and black on the back, white and yellow on the belly, yellow on the ribs, and light gray on the tail.

Habitat

It is found in areas close to the coast and up to 200 m deep, and in Greece in particular, it is found in the Thracian Sea, the Northern Ionian Sea, the Saronic and Corinthian Gulfs, the Dodecanese, the Northern Euboean and Pagasitikos Gulfs, the Cyclades, the Northeastern Aegean and the Thermaikos Gulf.

Population in Greece

There is no overall quantitative estimate of the size of the subpopulation of the common dolphin in Greece. According to rough estimates, it may number between 750 and 4,200 individuals. In the Corinthian Gulf it is estimated that there are now less than 50 individuals.