Five Facts about Scottish Bottlenose Dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins, by many, are known as a magical creature of the sea. They are elegant, playful and intelligent animals. That’s why today, on International Dolphin Day, RSPB’s Niamh Byrne is going to celebrate five facts about our beautiful Scottish bottlenose dolphins!

Five Facts about Scottish Bottlenose Dolphins

Apex predators of Scottish Seas

Bottlenose dolphins are one of the few apex predators living in Scottish waters. They are agile hunters usually feeding on a range of fish, squid and crustaceans. Dolphins eat their prey whole hence why you may see them throwing fish such as salmon into the air to make sure the food slides down the throat. This is why dolphins have conical shaped interlocking teeth to ensure they catch and hold onto their slippery prey!

mother and baby dolphin

Image: A bottlenose dolphin calf swimming alongside its mother (Summer season 2019). Credit: Will Brown.

Scottish Bottlenose Dolphins are the largest in the world

In Scotland, we are fortunate to have the northern most limit of bottlenose dolphins’ global range. Due to the chilly conditions of the North Sea the bottlenose dolphins are the largest, chunkiest and darkest found anywhere in the world! They reach 4m in length and need a thick layer of blubber to stay warm in Scottish seas.

Each Bottlenose Dolphin has its own signature whistle

Bottlenose dolphins communicate to each other by clicks, whistles and buzzes/squeaks. However, each dolphin has its own signature whistle. This whistle is learnt in the first few months of their life and it is much like their own individual name. Dolphins greet one another at sea by exchanging names which they remember for decades! No other non-human animal is believed to give names to each other.

dolphin leaping out of water surrounded by birds

Image: Birds frequently use dolphins to find their food source (Summer season 2019). Credit: Ian Grebby Photography

Dolphins bow-ride to save energy

We frequently see dolphins surfing the waves in front of boats and ships, but why do they do this? Bottlenose dolphins are streamlined, meaning they can move efficiently in water without too much drag as swimming in water requires a large amount of energy. Researchers have found that dolphins use these artificial waves created by boats and ships to move at a higher speed with much less energy used. What appears to be a playful behaviour as they jump and leap out of the water also provides an economical ride for the dolphin!

Scottish Bottlenose Dolphins are characterised as vulnerable

Globally the bottlenose dolphins are characterised as “least concern” on the IUCN red list. However, the east Scotland bottlenose population is considered as “vulnerable” due to being at the most northern part of their range, a small population size of roughly 200 individuals and being isolated from other populations. Only a small number of the population are females meaning that they are slow to reproduce and slow to increase in number. However, the population has been classed as stable in terms of the number of individuals yearly. 

dolphin leaping

Image: Bottlenose dolphin showing off their water acrobatic skills (Summer season 2019). Credit: Ian Grebby Photography.

Where are Scotland's Bottlenose Dolphins?

In Scotland, the largest resident populations are in the North East with approximately 200 individuals extending from Moray Firth south towards the Aberdeenshire Coast to the Tay Estuary and St Andrews. The smaller resident population of 45 individuals in the west is seen at the Inner Hebrides and the water around Sound of Barra.

For the time being, please stay safe and get your dolphin fix online!