Schools of spinner dolphins leap out of the water, twirl, and reenter with a large, noisy splashes that can be heard for long distances underwater. Usually they make several such spinning leaps in a row. The reason is a mystery. It may be to remove parasites from the skin, or to communicate with other animals in the school - or is it just for fun? Spinners are found in tropical waters worldwide. In Hawaii, they rest in shallow bays during the day, and swim out at dusk to forage in deeper waters. Groups of spinners disperse over a wide area when they are feeding, and different individuals may return to a bay in the morning. This suggests that the spinners around an island are a super-school, within which a number of sub-groups - perhaps family groups - move freely. Spinners are among the dolphins caught and killed in tuna fisheries.
Links:
Mammal Species of the WorldClick here for The American Society of Mammalogists species accountRights Holder: Smithsonian Institution
