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Schools of spinner dolphins leap out of the water, twirl, and reenter with a large, noisy splashes that can be heard for long distances underwater. Usually they make several such spinning leaps in a row. The reason is a mystery. It may be to remove parasites from the skin, or to communicate with other animals in the school - or is it just for fun? Spinners are found in tropical waters worldwide. In Hawaii, they rest in shallow bays during the day, and swim out at dusk to forage in deeper waters. Groups of spinners disperse over a wide area when they are feeding, and different individuals may return to a bay in the morning. This suggests that the spinners around an island are a super-school, within which a number of sub-groups - perhaps
family
groups - move freely. Spinners are among the dolphins caught and killed in tuna fisheries.
Also known as:
Spinner Porpoise, Long-snouted Spinner Dolphin, Delfín Tornillón
Length:
Range: 1.3-2.4 m
Weight:
Range: 22-75 kg
References:
Gray, J.E., 1828.
Spicilegia zoologica; or original figures and short systemic descriptions of new and unfigured animals
, p. 1. Treuttel, Wurtz and Co. and W. Wood, London, 8 pp.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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Phylum Chordata 
Class Mammalia 
Discover Life
World Register of Marine Species 
