Spinner dolphin
Stenella longirostris
Sighting evidence at Los Lobos — El Puertito Channel
Photo: martinmoscovich · CC BY-NC
Spinner dolphins rest in the Los Lobos channel during daylight hours after active nighttime feeding on deep scattering layer prey. They are highly social and frequently approach snorkellers and divers in open water around Los Lobos, performing the aerial spinning leaps that give the species its name — behaviour thought to serve social communication and ectoparasite removal rather than purely hydrodynamic functions. Encounters are most reliable from June through September when the channel's calm conditions attract resting pods of 30 to 80 individuals.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Spinner dolphin is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.