Heaviside's Dolphin
| Scientific Name | Cephalorhynchus heavisidii |  | |
| English Common Name | Heaviside’s dolphin | ||
| Taxonomy | Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Sub-order: Odontoceti Family: Delphinidae Genus: Cephalorhynchus Species: heavisidii | ||
| Behaviour | Highly active at the surface, these dolphins will readily approach boats and often bow-ride. Seen to breech frequently, somersault rapidly and porpoise when swimming at high speeds. Usually found in small groups of less than 10 individuals although larger gatherings may occur when socialising. | ||
| World Distribution | Heaviside’s dolphins only occur off western coasts of South Africa and Namibia, and are mainly seen in coastal waters of depths less than 100m. | ||
| Morphology | Heaviside’s dolphins are small, compact, and robust dolphins with striking colouration. They have a prominent, triangular dorsal fin with a broad base, and small flippers with blunt tips. The front half of their body is a light grey colour, which then sweeps into a dark bluish black in their rear half. These dolphins have brilliant white undersides which curve up into finger shaped lobes which point towards their tails. They also have brilliant white armpits just above their flippers. Their heads are unusually cone-shaped, and they have flattened foreheads with no distinct beak. Heaviside’s dolphins are born measuring 85cm however their weight when they are born is not known. They grow to a length of between 1.6 and 1.7 meters and weigh between 40 and 75kg. They live on fish and possibly squid. | ||
| Threats | The primary threat is entanglement in fishing nets however directed hunts are also known to occur. | ||
| Status | No abundance estimate is available for this species however they are thought to be rare. | ||
| Conservation Activities | CMS Appendix II IUCN – Data Deficient | ||
