pacificWhiteSided | San Diego Whale Watch 1

Pacific White Sided Dolphin

Lagenorhynchus obliquidens

Length

7-8 feet (2.1-2.4 m)

Weight

Up to 350 pounds (150 kg)

Distribution

Temperate coastal waters in the North Pacific from Gulf of Alaska to Baja California, Mexico in the east and off the coast of Japan in the western Pacific.

Population

Possibly close to 1,000,000 individuals throughout the entire Pacific.

Description

Pacific White-Sided Dolphins have an attractive color pattern consisting of gray, white, and black. They have a sharply hooked dorsal fin and a short, rounded beak. P. White-Sided Dolphins are fast swimmers and commonly hunt in groups while using echolocation. They primarily feed on small fish such as anchovies, herring and sardines as well as squid. It is believe that they feed frequently at night.

While some populations are considered to be year-long residential groups, we typically encounter this species in San Diego during the cooler winter months.

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