Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin

Photo: Martin Walsh · CC BY-NC-ND

The more robust Indo-Pacific bottlenose shares the pass with spinner dolphins, sometimes intermingling in mixed-species aggregations that forage cooperatively over the sandy bottom. They are bolder and more investigative toward divers than spinners, often approaching to examine bubbles and camera housings with evident curiosity. Genetic studies elsewhere in the Indian Ocean have documented stable, multigenerational communities with culturally transmitted foraging techniques, and the Kalpitiya individuals likely represent a similarly cohesive resident population.