Dusky dolphin
Lagenorhynchus obscurus
A lively, acrobatic dolphin that often travels in big, shifting groups. It follows the fish, not a schedule, and no sighting is ever a promise.
Least Concern (IUCN, 2019) means the species as a whole is not currently at high risk. Some local groups, especially in Peru, face heavy fishing pressure.
Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.
Length
Females up to about 1.93 m (6.3 ft) and males up to about 2.11 m (6.9 ft) in New Zealand
Weight
Females about 69 to 78 kg (152 to 172 lb) and males about 70 to 85 kg (154 to 187 lb)
Next to a person
About as long as an adult is tall, and about as heavy as one adult
What it eats
Mostly anchovies, hake and several squid species, with other small fish. At Kaikōura they feed at night on prey in the deep scattering layer, diving to about 130 m, and by day they sometimes herd fish together in groups.
Around people
Playful, give space
How it lives
Dusky dolphins live in a fission-fusion society, so group size changes with what the dolphins are doing. Groups range from pairs to more than 1,000. In New Zealand, females and males mature at about 7 to 8 years, and calves are born mainly between November and January. They can live 30 years or more.
Where it goes
Dusky dolphins live in scattered coastal populations across the Southern Hemisphere. Around New Zealand they make daily and seasonal moves between inshore and offshore water. At Kaikōura, large groups are present all year.
We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.
Populations
Least Concern worldwide (IUCN, 2019), because many populations look healthy and stable. New Zealand has about 12,000 to 20,000, with a large concentration at Kaikōura, and more than 6,500 have been counted along Argentina's Patagonian coast. Peru is the main concern: dusky dolphins there are reported killed at about 10,000 to 15,000 a year for shark bait or food. In New Zealand, set-net entanglement, vessel strikes and tourism impacts are the main threats. It is listed on CMS Appendix II.
Meet it respectfully
Let the dolphins choose whether to come close. Never chase, surround, touch or feed them, and keep the boat steady and slow. Do not swim at a group or split up a mother and calf. At Kaikōura, tourism is managed to limit disturbance, so follow your guide's briefing and local rules.
Fun fact
Tap the bulb to light it up.
Researchers sort dusky dolphin leaps into four types: noisy, clean, acrobatic and coordinated.
At night off Kaikōura they dive to about 130 m to feed on deep-water prey.
At Kaikōura, groups can reach about 1,000 dolphins.
Dusky dolphin in the Ocean Atlas
Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.
Travel with usComing soonTrusted referralExploringOn pause, story onlyEthics pass
Country colour: pink where we travel, blue where we are exploring or refer, grey for story only.
Argentina
Australia
Chile
New Zealand
Peru
South Africa
UruguaySources for this page
- Department of Conservation (New Zealand), Dusky dolphin
- Wikipedia, Dusky dolphin, 2026
- CMS, Lagenorhynchus obscurus species page
- GBIF, IUCN Red List category lookup, 2026
Facts checked 5 October 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.
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