Averaging 7-8 feet in length and weighing about 300 lbs, the Pacific White Sided Dolphin are slightly smaller than their counterparts, the Atlantic White Sided Dolphin. They also resemble the more popular Bottle Nosed Dolphin, however are differently colored and do not have the distinguished “smile” frequently associated with dolphins.
It is not uncommon to see large groups of Pacific White Sided Dolphins, numbering close to a hundred, traveling together. They range from Baja to Alaska and are also found off the coast of Japan. Not overly hunted, perhaps due to the fact that they are too quick to catch, their numbers are abundant and they are not on any endangered species list. Predators include sharks, transient killer whales and humans.
Living up to an average of 45 years, the Pacific White Sided Dolphins reach sexual maturity at about 7 or 8 years of age or when they reach 1.6 to 1.58 metres (5’5” to 6’ long). Their gestation period lasts an average of 10 months
These pictures below show a herd of Pacific white-sided dolphins in a feeding frenzy, all sharing a huge herring ball, in Johnstone Strait, right outside the tiny village of Telegraph Cove, British Columbia.