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| vertebrates text index | photo index |
| Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrata > Class Mammalia |
| Indo-Pacific
hump-backed dolphin Sousa chinensis Family Delphinidae updated Oct 09 Where seen? These marvellous creatures are still regularly sighted in the waters of our Southern Islands. According to Davison, these dolphins have been observed among our Southern Islands in the Singapore Straits, as well as near our northern shores in the Johor Straits. Globally, they are found in Africa, Asia and Australia, in seas, estuaries and river mouths. They have been seen in freshwater and upstream in large rivers. Features: Head and body length 120-280cm, up to about 140kg. Long narrow jaws filled with teeth, broad tail flukes (45cm), with a dorsal fisn (15cm tall) and pectoral fins (30cm). Colours may be brown, grey, black above and paler beneath. Some may be whitish, speckled or freckled. They are sometimes also called Pink dolphins. What does it eat? Feeds mainly on fish, as well as cephalopods (octopus, squid and cuttlefish). Dolphin babies: Baby dolphins are about 100cm long at birth and suckle on their mother's milk for about two years. Status and threats: This dolphin is listed as 'Endangered' in the Red List of threatened animals of Singapore. Like many other marine mammals, these dolphins are threatened by drowning in fishing lines and fishing nets. They are also affected by pollution and loss of feeding habitats due to reclamation, coastal development and human activities on our coasts and seas. |
video clips of dolphins on Singapore shores
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Past sightings of dolphins in Singapore
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