Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose DolphinBottlenose DolphinBottlenose DolphinBottlenose Dolphin

Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Galápagos Islands
147 Verified records at Galápagos Islands
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The common bottlenose dolphin or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is one of three species of bottlenose dolphin in the genus Tursiops. While formerly known simply as the bottlenose dolphin, this term is now applied to the genus Tursiops as a whole. As considerable genetic variation has been described within this species, even between neighboring populations, many experts think additional species may be recognized and split out. The common bottlenose dolphin is a very familiar dolphin due to the wide exposure it receives in captivity in marine parks and dolphinariums, and in movies and television programs. Common bottlenose dolphins inhabit temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world, absent only from polar waters. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Bottlenose Dolphin sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 147 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Galápagos Islands

Killer Whale

Killer Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Orcinus orca

5–10% · With luck
Common Dolphin
LC

Common Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Delphinus delphis

5–10% · Rare
Short-finned Pilot Whale
LC

Short-finned Pilot Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Globicephala macrorhynchus

<5% · Rare
False Killer Whale
NT

False Killer Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Pseudorca crassidens

Insufficient data
Striped Dolphin
LC

Striped Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Stenella coeruleoalba

Insufficient data
Risso's Dolphin
LC

Risso's Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Grampus griseus

Insufficient data
Melon-headed Whale
LC

Melon-headed Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Peponocephala electra

Insufficient data
Humpback Whale
LC

Humpback Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Megaptera novaeangliae

5–10% · With luck
Eden's Whale
LC

Eden's Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Balaenoptera edeni

<5% · Rare
Blue Whale
EN

Blue Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Balaenoptera musculus

<5% · Rare
Sperm Whale
VU

Sperm Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Physeter macrocephalus

<5% · Rare
Cuvier's Beaked Whale
LC

Cuvier's Beaked Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Ziphius cavirostris

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
20–30
Feb
20–30
Mar
10–20
Apr
10–20
May
10–20
Jun
10–20
Jul
10–20
Aug
10–20
Sep
5–10
Oct
20–30
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
40–50%
2 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
30–40%
3 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
30–40%
4 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
30–40%
5 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
30–40%
6 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
7 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
8 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
9 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
10–20%
10 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
11 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
12 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
13 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
10–20%
14 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
10–20%
15 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
16 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
17 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
18 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
19 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
20 Isla del Coco National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
21 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
22 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
23 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
24 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
25 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
26 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
27 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
28 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
29 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
30 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
31 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
32 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
33 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Insufficient data
34 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
35 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
36 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
37 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
38 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Bottlenose Dolphin in Galápagos Islands?

About 17% of wildlife watchers report a Bottlenose Dolphin sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 147 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Bottlenose Dolphin in Galápagos Islands?

November has the highest sighting rate for Bottlenose Dolphin in Galápagos Islands in our monthly data.

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