Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose DolphinBottlenose DolphinBottlenose DolphinBottlenose Dolphin

Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Table Mountain National Park
8 Verified records at Table Mountain National Park
April 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 →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Bottlenose Dolphin sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 8 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Table Mountain National Park

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
NT

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Tursiops aduncus

<5% · Rare
Heaviside's Dolphin
NT

Heaviside's Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Cephalorhynchus heavisidii

<5% · Rare
Common Dolphin
LC

Common Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Delphinus delphis

<5% · Rare
Killer Whale

Killer Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Orcinus orca

<5% · Rare
Indian Humpback Dolphin
EN

Indian Humpback Dolphin

Mammal

Sousa plumbea

Insufficient data
Risso's Dolphin
LC

Risso's Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Grampus griseus

Insufficient data
Humpback Whale
LC

Humpback Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Megaptera novaeangliae

5–10% · With luck
Southern Right Whale
LC

Southern Right Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Eubalaena australis

<5% · Rare
Eden's Whale
LC

Eden's Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Balaenoptera edeni

<5% · Rare
Pygmy Sperm Whale
LC

Pygmy Sperm Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Kogia breviceps

Insufficient data
Gray's Beaked Whale
LC

Gray's Beaked Whale

Mammal

Mesoplodon grayi

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
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 Table Mountain National Park?

About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Bottlenose Dolphin sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 8 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Bottlenose Dolphin in Table Mountain National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Bottlenose Dolphin in Table Mountain National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Table Mountain National Park