Dolphin Societies

Dive deeper to learn about a fission-fusion dolphin society

At the core of the Sarasota community are female bands. These bands include females that form nursery groups when they are accompanied by calves. The nursery groups tend to be built around females with calves of similar age.

Females moving together

Different bands favor different protected areas. Females frequent areas where they can readily find prey, which increases the survivability of their young. Often we see nursery groups near shallow grass meadows where prey fish are abundant.

A pair of males, who are almost always seen near each other

Dive deeper to learn more about male alliances

Males often swim together in pairs once they reach sexual maturity. We call it an alliance.

Males (on either side) escort a female

These alliances  usually last for the life of one of the dolphins. When one of the pair dies, the remaining dolphin often pairs up again. Male alliances have home ranges that are larger than those of females.

Males range widely, as they attempt to gain mating opportunities with receptive females.

A male alliance may disappear from the Sarasota area for weeks or months. They are sometimes seen in nearby dolphin communities.

Socializing

For several years after they separate from their mothers, juvenile dolphins spend much time together in small groups.

They still mingle with adult dolphins on occasion, but they often are more seen together. Frequently we see active social behavior, including mating activities.

Dive deeper to learn more about juvenile dolphin behavior

2009 Report

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Eventually, juvenile females mature and leave the the other juveniles. They then spend most of their time in their mother’s band.

Juveniles socialize

There they will associate with  their mother and younger and older siblings, as well as with other multi-generational family groups.

As they mature, juvenile male dolphins often begin to associate with another male dolphin, which becomes an enduring male alliance [See Males above].

Scott, M.D., R.S. Wells and A.B. Irvine. 1990. A long-term study of bottlenose dolphins on the west coast of Florida. Pp. 235-244 In: S. Leatherwood and R.R. Reeves (eds.), The Bottlenose Dolphin. Academic Press, San Diego. 653 pp.

Wells, R.S. 2003. Dolphin social complexity: Lessons from long-term study and life history. Pp. 32-56 In: F.B.M. de Waal and P.L. Tyack, eds., Animal Social Complexity: Intelligence, Culture, and Individualized Societies. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.