Dolphins.  They think they're sooo cute!
Ohh, look at me!  I'm a flippy little dolphin!
Image taken by: Al Sweeting Jr.


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Ever want to go swimming with dolphins?  Have you always loved dolphins, like me?  No other quote gets the idea of a dolphin across like that one does!  They love having fun and I believe that they happen to be the most beautiful organisms out there!  Atlantic spotted dolphins aren't the species that everyone knows and recognizes.  This doesn't mean that they aren't just as important!  Spotted dolphins often mingle with Bottlenose dolphins and other dolphin species that live in or around their environment.  These playful and unpredictable organisms are always looking for fun and they know exactly where to find it. 
                                   Image courtesy of: Wikipedia 
                                                                          What do they look like?

Stenella frontalis, commonly known as the Atlantic spotted dolphin, is a very energetic and playful creature.  This species of dolphin is somewhat difficult to describe because physical features vary due to their geographical locations.  Typically, adult Atlantic spotted dolphins reach to be about seven feet long and 220 pounds.  Calves are born around 32-36 inches.  There are two species of this organism.  Stenella attenuata is considered the worldwide spotted dolphin and Stenella frontalis is considered the Atlantic spotted dolphin.  The bodies of the Atlantic spotted dolphin is covered in spots (but the young are born spotless and receive their spots as they grow older).

The dorsal fin (located on the top of the organism) is tall and curved.  This fin, along with the pectoral fins (located on both sides of the dolphin) help guide the dolphin through the water.  Though they are fun-loving and playful creatures, they have fallen victim to many incidental deaths.  These deaths are usually at the hands of fishing companies (mainly tuna companies because the dolphins often trail schools of tuna).

Like this dolphin?  Check out some other dolphin pages made by previous students or check out MultipleOrganisms.net to see what more students have created:

 1. Bottlenose dolphin (by: Samantha Schemberger)
The bottlenose dolphin is the most well-known of the dolphin species.  It is a cousin to the Atlantic spotted dolphin.  The bottlenose dolphin is another playful and fun-loving creature.  Some of the most publicized human-dolphin encounters occur with this species.

2. Spinner dolphin (by: Sally Johnson)
The spinner dolphin is, of the three here, the most closely related dolphin to the Atlantic spotted dolphin.  Spinner dolphins love to jump and leap through the water.  This species is greatly used for educational purposes.

3. Killer Whale (by: Karlie Hurlbert)
Most people do not associate killer whales with dolphins, but in fact, they are a part of the dolphin family.  Killer whales are used a lot in sea parks for entertainment shows and have even been featured in movies.  Killer whales are recognized most often because of the white patch above their eye and their very unique coloring.
Last updated: April 2008                                                                       Go on to read about their classification