These dolphins are mostly found living far offshore, normally in shoals of 6 to 20, although in one exceptional case of more than 1500. They are often observed together with the Atlantic white-sided dolphin. They are powerful swimmers who love to surf on bow waves of ships.

North Atlantic and adjacent waters from Davis Strait and Cape Cod to Barents Sea, the Baltic Sea, Portugal and possibly Turkey (Nowak 1999).

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Cold temperate and subarctic waters of the northern North Atlantic, including the Baltic Sea; south to Cape Cod and Portugal (IUCN 1991). Common off Cape Cod in spring; abundant at least seasonally off southern and western Greenland, Newfoundland, and Labrador, and throughout Davis Strait; common around the Faroe Islands; seasonally present in the Norwegian Sea along the coast of Norway and the southern Barents Sea to Varanger Fjord and possibly Murmansk; abundant off southwestern Sweden; the most common dolphin around Iceland; the third most commonly reported species in sighting and stranding records in the northern North Sea (IUCN 1991).

The white-beaked dolphin has a robust body, with a short, thick beak about 5-8 cm long in adults. The beak is distinctly set off from the melon. The dorsal fin is at mid-body. It is proportionally large (up to 15% of body length), often rounded at the peak, and strongly recurved. Both the dorsal fin and the flukes apparently decrease in size relative to other body dimensions as the dolphin ages. The pointed flippers can be up to 19% of the total adult length. The thickened tail stock tapers gradually, in marked contrast to that of the Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Reeves 1999).

The coloration of this species shows considerable variability. The beak of most white-beaked dolphins is white, often mottled with light grey or with greyish or blackish spots, but in some, it is almost entirely grey (though paler than the head). The dark dorsal field anterior to the dorsal fin is sometimes separated from the dark melon by a transverse light grey stripe, a brownish-grey patch or a bold whitish "chevron" around and behind the blowhole. It may extend downwards from the melon to encircle the eye. In front of the dark grey zones on the sides, there is a paler grey, rather ill-defined thoracic patch. Above and behind this patch, between the dark grey dorsal and lateral fields, the body is varying shades of light grey to nearly white. The whitish or light grey flank pigmentation extends dorsally onto the back behind the dorsal fin. The underside is white, with the white central part of the abdomen forming a narrow band between two pale grey patches. The flukes, the tail stock immediately in front of the flukes, and the flippers, are generally dark, but often spotted or marbled with white near the insertions of the flippers and on the undersides of the flukes. Four to six hair follicles are present on each side of the upper jaw. Hairs are present on the upper lip of young individuals (Reeves et al. 1999).

Average mass: 200 kg.

Length: 300 cm

• Marine

Lagenorhynchus albirostris generally occurs in cool waters. This species moves north into Davis Strait during the spring and summer, then moves back in the autumn and spends the winter as far south as Cape Cod (Nowak 1999).

Habitat Type: Marine

Comments: Inhabits offshore and pelagic arctic waters.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Occurs at northern limits of range in warmer months; withdraws southward for winter.

The principle prey of the white-beaked dolphin includes clupeids, gadids and hake. Other fish, squid, octopus and benthic crustaceans are also eaten (Reeves et al. 1999).

Animal Foods: fish; mollusks; aquatic crustaceans

Primary Diet: carnivore (Piscivore )

Comments: Diet includes squid, octopus, cod, herring, haddock, capelin, and sometimes benthic crustaceans.

Occurs in groups of up to several hundred in the west, mainly in groups of not more than 2-5 in the east (IUCN 1991).

Comments: Active day/night.

Calves are born between June and September. At birth they are about 115 cm long and weigh 40 kg. They reach sexual maturity at a length of 1.95 m (  http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jaap/lag-albi.htm).

Single calf is born June-September.

White-beaked dolphins are hunted along the coasts of several Northern Atlantic countries including Norway, Iceland and Newfoundland. Like other North Atlantic marine mammals, white-beaked dolphins are poisoned by organochlorides, other anthropogenic compounds, and heavy metals. The impact of these factors on the population are unknown. Some populations have apparently grown in the last thirty years or so, while others (including those in the Gulf of Maine) have declined (Reeves 1999).

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NU - Unrankable

Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure

Comments: No known serious threats, though some incidental take in fishing nets occurs (IUCN 1991).