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Whether on land or in the ocean, dolphins are some of the world’s most beloved mammals. Their natural twitching of their mouths makes them seem like friendly, smiling animals, and for the most part they are.
In the order of cetaceans around the world, there are many different types of dolphins. Although there are two suborders of cetaceans, Mysticetes (baleen whales) and Odontocetes (toothed whales), dolphins live in the latter. The suborder Odontocetes, characterized by rounded or spatulate teeth, consists of dolphins and porpoises.
Dolphins can vary greatly in size. Let’s dive into the top 10 biggest dolphins in the world!
# 10: Teeth Dolphin (6.9 – 9.3 feet)
This dolphin gets its name from its unique serrated teeth, which can be identified by the black and dark gray spots on the ventral side and the appearance of a prehistoric lizard.
The rough-toothed dolphin is the only dolphin species that does not have folds on its head and nose.
You can find toothy dolphins in the deep open waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, living off fish, squid and octopus.
The life span of these dolphins is about 35 years. The sharp-toothed dolphins are tenth on our list, with a length of 9 feet and a weight of about 350 pounds.
# 9: Northern and Southern Whale Dolphin (6.5 – 10.2 feet)
These dolphins are recognizable by their lack of a dorsal fin, short, curved fins, and well-defined beaks. Southern dolphin whales have a unique coloration, often with a white belly and black back, although some may be completely black or white. Northern whale dolphins look exactly the same, but are usually black in color.
Both of these dolphins love deep ocean waters from cold to temperate, but they live in opposite hemispheres of the Earth. As the name suggests, the northern whale dolphin lives in Arctic waters, while the southern whale dolphin lives in Antarctic waters.
Northern and Southern Whale Dolphins are ninth in our lineup, with an average length of 9.8 feet and a weight of around 250 pounds.
# 8: Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (8.2 – 10ft)
These aerodynamic dolphins get their name from the fat hump at the level of their dorsal fins. Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins are easily identified by their pink skin tone, although calves are born gray. One species is called the Chinese white dolphin.
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins live in the Indian and Pacific Oceans from Northern Australia to eastern China and in the temperate waters of India, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
These dolphins inhabit shallow coastal areas and bays, averaging 440 pounds on a diet of fish, crustaceans and cephalopods, reaching eighth place with a maximum length of ten feet.
# 7: White-billed Dolphin (7.2 – 10.2 feet)
This plump black and gray dolphin gets its name from the white tip of its beak. The light “saddle” behind the dorsal fin and the white stripe on the belly also make it possible to identify the white-billed dolphin.
These subarctic dolphins can often be seen in the Atlantic Ocean in the north, up to the White Sea, off the Norwegian coast and swimming in the Baltic Sea.
The white-billed dolphin with a bow is seventh on our list of the largest dolphins in the world with a maximum length of 10.2 and a maximum weight of around 770 pounds!
# 6: Dolphin Risso (8.5 – 13 feet)
Risso dolphins are born black, but often brighten with age. These unique looking dolphins are sometimes considered part of the black fish subfamily, including killer whales, pilot whales, melon-headed whales and pygmy whales.
These dolphins love to dive up to 1000 feet in deep tropical and temperate waters around the world. Risso’s dolphins are different from others because they only have teeth on the lower jaw. They often have abrasions and scars on their sides, presumably from playing or fighting with other dolphins.
Risso dolphins hunt at night and are often active and close to the surface for up to 35 years of age. These beauties rank sixth on the list with a maximum length of 13 feet and a weight of 1,100 pounds.
# 5: Common Bottlenose Dolphin (8.2 – 13ft)
The common bottlenose dolphin is the familiar ocean mammal that most people think of when they hear the word. It’s hard to forget them with their smooth gray smooth skin and constant smile.
These dolphins are fairly easy to find and inhabit most coastal and open ocean areas, including the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Bottlenose dolphins have a fast metabolism and consume 4-6% of their weight per day.
These friendly cetaceans are known to save people from time to time. However, they are predators for fish, crustaceans and squid, sometimes even chasing them on the shore.
With a regular diet and healthy living conditions, the average bottlenose dolphin weighs 440 pounds. However, exceptional people grow up to 13 feet tall and up to 1400 pounds!
# 4 – Mock Killer Whale (20ft)
These tropical and temperate water dwellers are known throughout the world for their long, slender bodies, funny large teeth and round foreheads. These are fast swimmers who jump out of the water for their prey, which consists of squid, fish, and cephalopods.
The population of false killer whales is small. However, they remain for a while – up to sixty years! False killer whales can be seen in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands, the Pacific coast of the United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and American Somoa.
These dolphins can live up to 60 years, grow up to 20 feet in length and weigh 3,000 pounds!
# 3: Short Finned Pilot Whale (9.8 – 24ft)
Surprised to see whales on the list of largest dolphins? Well, it turns out that all dolphins are whales, but not all whales are dolphins.
The short-finned pilot whale is a dolphin native to the tropical and temperate waters of Hawaii and the southwest coast of Tenerife, as well as the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. These dolphins exist in matriarchal social units and live up to 60 years in women and 40 years in men.
Short-finned whales can grow up to 24 feet in length and weigh up to 6,600 pounds, which puts them in third place in the countdown!
# 2: Pilot Whale with Long Fins – 19-25 feet
The long-finned pilot whale is a large oceanic dolphin known for its unusually long pectoral fins and social disposition. Pilot whales with long fins form groups or flocks from a pair to over 1000, of which 20–150 are the most common.
These dolphins live on cephalopods such as squid and mackerel and will migrate based on food availability. Pilot whales with long fins from time to time break through and find themselves on the ocean coast in the cold waters of the North Atlantic and the Southern Hemisphere.
Female whales with long fins often live to be sixty years old, and their cousins - from 35 to 40 years old. This is the second largest dolphin on the list with a maximum length of 25 feet and weighing up to 5,000 pounds!
# 1: killer whale (23 – 32 feet)
The killer whale, or killer whale, is the largest dolphin in the world. As mentioned above, dolphins are whales, and the largest living dolphin is the killer whale. The dorsal fin of a killer whale alone can reach 6 feet in height!
Killer whales are nicknamed “Killer Whales” because of their ability to resist predators and even hunt whales much larger than themselves. However, they are not particularly dangerous to humans.
Killer whales survive on a wide variety of animals, depending on their availability and location, including:
Killer whales are widespread and can be seen in any ocean, but they prefer to roam the surface in cold water and dive as deep as 1,000 feet. Male killer whales can grow up to 32 feet in length, while females usually reach 26 feet in length.
Killer whales are the largest dolphins in existence, weighing between 6,600 and 8,800 pounds, the same as an adult male African forest elephant!
Complete list of the largest dolphins
- Toothed dolphin
- North and South Whale Dolphin
- Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin
- White-billed dolphin
- Dolphin Risso
- Common dolphin bottlenose dolphin
- False killer whale
- Pilot whale with short fins
- Pilot whale with long fins
- Orca
Whether massive or miniature, ocean and water wildlife, the greatest predator of dolphins is man. Beyond hunting, fishing and water pollution, which is destroying the ecosystem, and plastic filling the oceans, the conservation of dolphins, cetaceans and marine life is more important than ever.
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