Mammals
Commerson's Dolphin
Cephalorhynchus commersonii · also called Commersons dolphin, skunk dolphin, piebald dolphin
Leaping playfully through the cold coastal water near the Strait of Magellan, a Commerson’s dolphin’s bold black-and-white pattern flashes clearly at the surface, a distinctive colouring striking enough to have earned this small, energetic species the nickname skunk dolphin.
Overview
Commerson’s dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii, is a small, boldly patterned dolphin native to coastal ocean waters around the southern tip of South America, including the Strait of Magellan, with a separate population near the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Its striking black-and-white colouration, tolerance for exceptionally cold water, and energetic surface acrobatics make it one of the more visually distinctive and behaviourally engaging small dolphins found in the Southern Hemisphere.
A small dolphin dressed for attention
Few dolphins wear a pattern as bold as Commerson’s dolphin, whose stark black-and-white colouring stands out sharply against the cold, dark coastal waters at the very southern edge of South America.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and stable across suitable coastal habitat at the southern tip of South America, with a smaller, more isolated population near the Kerguelen Islands.
Commerson's Dolphin: common questions
Why is Commerson's dolphin called the skunk dolphin?
This species displays a striking black-and-white colour pattern bold enough to have earned it the nickname skunk dolphin, one of the more visually distinctive colour schemes found in any dolphin species, making it fairly easy to identify at a glance where it occurs.
Why does Commerson's dolphin have a population so far from South America?
This species includes a separate, geographically distant population found near the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean, isolated from the main South American population, a distribution pattern that reflects the species' broader tolerance for cold Southern Hemisphere waters even across widely separated regions.
How cold is the water Commerson's dolphin lives in?
This species inhabits some of the coldest coastal waters of any small dolphin species, tolerating conditions at the southern tip of South America that would be inhospitable to many warmer-water dolphin relatives found in more temperate or tropical regions.
Is Commerson's dolphin known for jumping and playing?
Yes, this species is a fast, energetic swimmer frequently observed performing surface acrobatics including leaps and rolls, behaviour that has made it a popular and engaging subject for wildlife watching wherever it is accessible to observers.