RISSO'S DOLPHIN

Grampus griseus

Risso's dolphins are seen very rarely in Channel Island waters. There is a resident group in the Bay of St Malo.

The Risso's dolphin has a large stocky bulbous shaped forehead (melon) and has no snout (beak).Risso's dolphins can also be recognised by the extensive white scar lines on their bodies and are light grey to white in colour with a white chin. The old or more mature Risso's dolphins have alot more scarring and look whiter in colour. These scars are caused by other Risso's dolphins during playing or fighting.

Risso's dolphins have a tall, curved dorsal fin. The dorsal fin functions as a stabilizer and keeps these marine mammals from rolling and aids them in a rapid change of direction. Risso's dolphins can grow up to 13ft in length, males being larger than females, and can be found in groups of 2 to up to 50 individuals. Larger groups can be in numbers of up to 1000. Their diet consists of small fish, cuttle fish and squid.

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