The bottlenose dolphin in French Polynesia

The common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, is distributed throughout the five Polynesian archipelagoes. However, the species is more frequently observed in Rangiroa Atoll than in any other Polynesian island. In French Polynesia, adults can reach up to 3.3 meters and weigh up to 450 kilos. They are easily identified by their stocky and greyish body prolongated by a thick rostrum. The line of their mouth is curved upwards and gives them a 'smiling' appearance. However, this morphological feature does not reflect the overall species’ behavioral repertoire as these dolphins have an extremely complex social life and may display agonistic behaviors - i.e. intimidation, aggression. The numerous marks, notches and scars visible on the adult males’ bodies perfectly illustrate these animals’ strength. We introduce below some individuals of the Tiputa community...