The Guiana dolphin, aka estuarine dolphin or costero, hails from the coastal & estuary waters to the north & east of South America, and east of Central America. These dolphins face the threats of overfishing and getting caught in long lines as well as fishing nets; water pollution; microplastics pollution; and land pollution, that causes run-offs of pesticides. They are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Their population trend is listed as unknown at this time.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Sotalia guianensis
Weight: Up to 267 lbs.
Length: Up to 7.2 feet
Lifespan: Up to 40+ years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) These dolphins are similar in appearance to the bottlenose dolphin, but smaller, and slightly larger than the tucuxi dolphin.
2.) They were first described as a distinct species by Belgian zoologist Pierre-Joseph van Beneden in 1864.
3.) There are 2 recognized subspecies, Sotalia fluviatilis and Sotalia guianensis.
4.) Guiana dolphins are able to tolerate a wide range of temperatures and salinities.
5.) Typical pod sizes are up to 6 individuals, but much larger pods of several hundred individuals have been documented.
But wait, there’s more on the Guiana dolphin!
6.) These active dolphins engage in breaching (leaping completely out of the water), somersaults, spy-hopping (rising up from the water to get a look around), and tail-splashing.
7.) Fish, shrimps, octopuses, squids, and crabs are all on the menu.
Did you know…?
It has been surmised that these dolphins have an electroreceptive sense, which is the biological ability to detect and react to environmental electric fields, primarily used by aquatic organisms like sharks, rays, and electric fish for locating prey, navigation, and communication.
8.) They have been known to herd fish onto beaches and half strand themselves for a few seconds while grabbing their tasty prey.
9.) A group of 6 adult males separated a mother from her calf, 4 of them kept her at bay by ramming her and hitting her with their flukes. The other 2 adults rammed the calf, held it under water, then threw it into the air and held it under water again. Later, the female was seen without her calf.
10.) The above documented act is known an infanticide. This behavior has been reported previously in bottlenose dolphins but is generally thought to be uncommon among cetaceans.
Now a Short Guiana Dolphin Video!
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Some source material acquired from: Wikipedia & IUCN
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