spinner dolphin
Twirling ocean mammal
A spinner dolphin is a small tropical dolphin known for leaping from the water and spinning on its longitudinal axis—sometimes completing seven rotations in a single leap.
Found in warm oceans worldwide, they travel in large pods and are frequently seen riding the bow waves of boats.
We watched spinner dolphins put on an acrobatic show off the Hawaiian coast.
Full-body forward rotation
- leapSudden springing movement
- twirlRotate rapidly, often playfully
- flipQuick turning motion
- aerialElevated, or signal-catcher
pirouette · rotation · corkscrew · barrel roll · breach · dive · midair · splash
Small toothed whale relative
- whaleHuge sea mammal
- mammalWarm-blooded, milk-producing animal
- blowholeWhale's breathing aperture
- echolocationNavigation through reflected sound
flippers · dorsal fin · rostrum · melon · pod · calf · sonar · marine mammal
Seed case or cetacean group
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
- bondingForming close connections
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
- groupAssembled collection of things
school · interaction · kinship · community · companionship · synchronized · vocalization · whistles
In a state of stillness
- travelingMoving from place to place
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
- lanternfishLight-producing deep-sea fish
- night feedingCaring for hungry infant overnight
logging · milling · sociable · curious · playful · frolic · gambol · cavort
Of the open sea
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- PacificEarth's vastest ocean
- AtlanticOcean bordering Europe
- Indian OceanSea south of Asia
Hawaiian · coral reef · offshore · deep water · archipelago · lagoon · seamount · warm seas
somersault
Full-body forward rotation
aerial · pirouette · rotation · corkscrew · barrel roll · breach · dive · midair · splash · re-entry
porpoise
Small toothed whale relative
echolocation · flippers · dorsal fin · rostrum · melon · pod · calf · sonar · marine mammal · streamlined
pod
Seed case or cetacean group
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
- bondingForming close connections
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
group · school · interaction · kinship · community · companionship · synchronized · vocalization · whistles · clicks
resting
In a state of stillness
- travelingMoving from place to place
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
- lanternfishLight-producing deep-sea fish
night feeding · logging · milling · sociable · curious · playful · frolic · gambol · cavort
pelagic
Of the open sea
Indian Ocean · Hawaiian · coral reef · offshore · deep water · archipelago · lagoon · seamount · warm seas · equatorial
spinner dolphinorca
Large predatory dolphin
killer whale · river dolphin · pilot whale · bottlenose dolphin · vaquita
spinner dolphindugong
Herbivorous marine mammal
manatee · sea cow · vaquita · baleen whale · blue whale
spinner dolphinmanatee
Large aquatic herbivorous mammal
dugong · sea slug · sea cucumber · starfish · sea anemone
spinning, spins, dolphin, spinner, spindle, spindly, dolphins, spinster, spinners