Northern Rightwhale Dolphin
| Scientific Name | Lissodelphis borealis |  | |
| English Common Name | Northern Right-Whale dolphin | ||
| Taxonomy | Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Sub-order: Odontoceti Family: Delphinidae Genus: Lissodelphis Species: borealis | ||
| Behaviour | Usually avoids boats but is quite active at the surface especially when disturbed. When they are travelling fast, they can give the appearance of “bouncing” off the water surface however when they are travelling slowly, there can be hardly any disturbance to the waters surface at all. Usually found in large groups. Similar in behaviour to the Northern right-whale. | ||
| World Distribution | As their name suggests, the Northern right-whale dolphins are found in the northern hemisphere and are widely distributed. They are mainly found in the cool, deep temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean, inhabiting deep open water although known to travel further inshore and frequent deep canyons | ||
| Morphology | Northern right-whale dolphins are the only dolphins in the north Pacific without a dorsal fin. They are long and sleek with small slender flippers and an extremely narrow tail stock. Young calves are greyish brown or sometimes cream and develop their adult colouration – black body, white tip to the lower jaw, white chest patch joining another white patch at the navel area and extending down to the flukes – during their first year. They have 74 to 98 teeth on both their upper and lower jaws. Newborns are approximately 90cm and their weight is unknown. Adults range from 2 – 3 metres and weigh between 60-100kg. Their diet includes fish and squid. | ||
| Threats | Primary threats include incidental entanglement in fishing nets and a directed hunt. | ||
| Status | No abundance estimate is available for this species. | ||
| Conservation Activities | CMS status “not listed” IUCN – Least Concern | ||
