Striped Dolphin
Possibly the most common of all cetaceans, the Striped Dolphin is found throughout the world’s oceans, preferring warmer, deeper waters. Its population, although still considerable, has begun to drop in recent decades, possibly as a result of increased hunting near one of its migrating areas, around Japan.
As their name suggests, Striped Dolphins are recognized by the long, dark stripe which runs along their sides. These dolphins have dark backs, gray tails, and white or sometimes pink bellies. In size they ar e nearly identical to Common Dolphins, but they tend to weight a bit more, between 200 and 330 pounds (90 to 150 kilograms).
Striped Dolphins are active and easily observed animals. They frequently breach, leapin 20 feet (6 meters) or more out of the waters, and are capable of amazing acrobatics, including backwards somersault and u[side down porpoising. Pacific Striped Dolphins are migratory, moving to warmer waters during the winter.
Did you know that Striped Dolphins sometimes try to help resuce whales that are being hunted by whalers? in one case, a group of Pacific Striped Dolphins tried to get in the way of hunters attacking a Pilot Whale. Even after the whale was captured and taken aboard the whaling ship, the Striped Dolphins continued to swim around the ship, perhaps hoping the whale might somehow survive.