Physical Description
The Haviside's Dolphin is a fairly small dolphin, growing up to about 1.8 m (5.9 ft) in length and weighing up to 75 kg. Their size and the bluntness of their heads leads these dolphins to often be mistaken for porpoises. The head is coloured a dark grey. The front half of the upper side and the flanks are a much lighter grey. The dorsal fin, fluke and back half of the back are again a darker grey colour. The underbelly is white and there are flashes of white on the flanks below the dorsal fin.
Males reach sexual maturity at about 7–9 years. Females reach breeding age at the same time. The gestation period is probably 10 months. Mating occurs in Spring and Summer. It is believed that females calf on average once every three years. The maximum known age of a Haviside's Dolphin is 20 years. This relatively short life span, coupled with the long calving period, causes a naturally low population growth rate. Therefore the species is particularly sensitive to being hunted.
Haviside's Dolphins are active and social animals. They typically congregate in groups of about 5–10 in number but sometimes in larger groups. They are able to swim fast. Part of their play and social activity is to jump vertically clear of the water, turn in the air, and fall back into the sea with virtually no splashing or noise.
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