The Fastest Dolphins on Earth and How We Can Protect Them

Attempting to capture pictures of the fastest dolphin species in the world, the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), has been one of my favorite challenges in wildlife photography.

It was a cloudy summer day off the coast of Rhode Island on the north Atlantic Ocean, with little wind able to pass through the fog. The still air created calm, mirror-like seas as a dense layer of fog wrapped around our vessel in a circular curtain, merging with the surface of the water and rising into the sky around us.

While doing yoga with a coworker on the back deck, another coworker called down that there were dolphins at the bow. We hurried to put on our shoes and ran towards the bow, hoping to catch a glimpse. From the stern we had already seen them approaching the vessel and moving with the classic speed and agility of this species, porpoising across the ocean in effortless arcs. They carried so much momentum that it looked as if they would launch right onto the deck, but at about 15 feet (5 meters) from the hull they dove underneath and vanished. We never saw them again. They continued their journey through the big blue sea, free to travel, forage, socialize, and fulfill their dolphin duties.

About the Short-Beaked Common Dolphin

The short-beaked common dolphin is widely distributed, found in warm tropical waters to cool temperate seas around the world, mostly offshore. Their diet includes cephalopods like squid and schooling fish such as herring. They typically feed at night, when their prey rises from the deep toward the surface. Most dives average around 100 ft (30 m), though they are capable of descending to 1,000 ft (305 m).

I’ve encountered this species in multiple places, off the coast of Rhode Island, USA, where this story takes place, and in Monterey, California.

These dolphins are exceptionally talented swimmers. They hold the record for the fastest dolphin species on the planet, reaching speeds up to 37 mph (59 kph). Social, acrobatic, and curious, they often interact with vessels, riding the pressure waves created at the bow or stern. Although they appear abundant across their ranges, they face serious threats, including bycatch (accidental capture in commercial fishing nets) and direct hunting for meat and oil in Russia, Japan, and some nations bordering the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. All biology and behavioral information come from NOAA Fisheries (linked below).

Bycatch is especially problematic in the United States. The California drift gillnet fishery, targeting swordfish, mako sharks, and thresher sharks, has one of the highest marine-mammal mortality rates. The monofilament nets, nearly invisible underwater, trap anything that encounters them, causing animals to drown when they can’t reach the surface.

We can help protect this species by reducing or avoiding consumption of unsustainable seafood. If you do eat seafood, look for products that are genuinely sustainable, dolphin-safe, and low in contaminants. Remember, not all labels are trustworthy! Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program provides an excellent resource for identifying sustainable and healthy choices (link below).

Observations from the Bow

One of the most beautiful feelings is spotting these dolphins from afar and safely running to the bow to see if they’re riding the pressure wave. Sometimes you run down and they are which always brings a big smile and other times the bow is quiet, and they pass beneath us and disappear without another trace.

When they do bow-ride, it feels like stepping into their world. I can hear them whistling to each other, communicating in their dolphin language, and watch how they interact with the vessel, with each other, and with the sea around them. During July and early August off Rhode Island, I frequently saw calves among the pods. When babies are present, the pod stays tightly grouped, with the mother right beside her calf and the rest of the dolphins surrounding them. The mother offers glimpses of freedom, allowing the calf to leap out of the water on its own before it quickly returns to her side, the two appearing fused together when viewed from above.

The juveniles typically leave the bow first, diving out of sight, followed by the mother-and-calf pairs. Eventually only a few adults remain riding the wave before the entire pod disappears once again into the open ocean.

Short-beaked common dolphins love riding the swell created by our vessel as it slices through the water. The pressure wave forms a kind of endlessly renewing surf. For dolphins traveling in the same direction, perhaps searching for food or companions, it’s an irresistible chance to conserve energy, like stepping onto a moving airport walkway.

Their highly developed echolocation, compact size (around 6 ft / 2 m), and strong musculature allow them to navigate vessel noise and take advantage of the hydrodynamic lift. This interaction demonstrates a form of commensalism: the dolphins benefit from the wave, while the vessel is unaffected. It seems to bring them genuine ease, even joy.

The species also shows strong social bonds. Mothers and calves swim in tight synchrony, protected within the middle of the group. Watching these interactions throughout the summer of 2024 was a privilege. They are truly charismatic, energetic, and curious animals and ones that inspire me to be free, live fully, and show compassion to all who cross my path.

Links

• Super Green List | Healthy and environmentally sustainable seafood | Seafood Watch

• Short-Beaked Common Dolphin | NOAA Fisheries