Dusky Dolphin - Populations and Distribution

Populations and Distribution

The dusky dolphin has a discontinuous semi-circumpolar range. The dolphins can be found off the coasts of South America, southwestern Africa, southern Australia and Tasmania, New Zealand and some oceanic islands. Off South America, dusky dolphins range from southern Peru to Cape Horn in the west and from southern Patagonia to around 36º S in the east. Its range also includes the Falkland Islands. They are particularly common from Peninsula Valdes to Mar de Plata. In comparison, they are uncommon in the Beagle Channel and the inshore waters of the Tierra del Fuego region.

Dusky dolphins are found throughout New Zealand waters. The dolphin population in this area centers around East Cape and Cape Palliser on the North Island to Timaru and Oamaru on the South Island. They are especially common in the cold waters of the Southland and Canterbury currents. In Africa, the dusky dolphin ranges from Lobito Bay, Angola in the north to False Bay, South Africa in the south. Within Australian waters, dusky dolphins have been recorded in colder waters off Kangaroo Island, eastern Tasmania and Bass Strait, although they are uncommon and those that are sighted there are possibly transients from New Zealand. Dusky dolphins are also found around Campbell, Auckland and Chatham in the western South Pacific, Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic and Île Amsterdam and Île Saint-Paul in the southern Indian Ocean.