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Spinner Dolphin | Daily Animal Facts

Animal profile

Spinner Dolphin

Stenella longirostris

MammaliaTropical open ocean, resting by day in sheltered bays in some populationsLeast Concern

Field profile

The spinner dolphin is a slender tropical dolphin of about two metres with a long thin beak. Hawaiian populations feed at night on deep-scattering-layer prey and rest in shallow bays during the day. Eastern tropical Pacific populations were heavily depleted by the tuna purse-seine fishery.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2026-02-17

Spinner Dolphin

Spinner dolphins rotate several times in one leap

A leaping spinner dolphin can complete as many as seven full turns about its long axis before hitting the water. The spin starts underwater, and the animal's tail continues to drive the rotation until the moment it leaves the surface.

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