Common Dolphins in Hermanus – Walker Bay
Common Dolphins:
The common dolphin is a medium sized dolphin that’s length ranges from between 1.9 and 2.5 meters. The colour pattern on the body is odd. The back is dark and their underside is white, on each side is an hour glass shaped pattern painted light grey, yellow, or gold in front and dirty grey on the back.
There are two species namely the short beaked and long beaked common dolphin. The dolphin’s diet consists mainly of fish and squid. They are incredibly fast swimmers and can reach 60 KM per hour and dive up to 200 meters deep. Common dolphins are incredibly social, swimming in pods of over 10,000 members.
Did you know:
- Dolphins evolved from land animals. The animals resembled that of wolves.
- The dolphin has been recorded to cooperate with birds, whales, sharks and humans to heard schools of fish into close clusters, making them easier to catch.
- Dolphins have been used by the US navy to seek out underwater mines.
- They can swim and sleep at the same time. For 8 hours, the whole brain is conscious. The left side then sleeps for 8 hours. When it wakes up, the right side sleeps for 8 hours.
Visitors to our shores can see their magnificent aerial acrobatics, somersaults and breaching, common amongst the species.
If you happen to be upon a boat the dolphins regularly ride along the bow wave, truly a delightful site to see. Always have your camera ready when heading out!