Family Delphinidae (Dolphins)

IDENTIFICATION
The Saddle-backed Dolphin (also known as the Common Dolphin and Baird's Dolphin) is distinctly marked with a white chest and belly patch and an hourglass or criss-cross pattern on the sides. The back is black or brownish black, but this dolphin's coloration and markings are highly variable. The dorsal fin is usually slender and slightly back-curved. The Saddle-backed Dolphin can grow to about 2.5 metres long.

MEALS, MANNERS AND MIGRATION
The Saddle-backed Dolphin eats squid, herring, pilchard, anchovies and hake. It often travels in large pods, sometimes of more than a thousand animals, and will approach ships to ride in the bow waves. There is only one account of this dolphin in British Columbia - a dead animal found on a beach in Victoria. No live Saddle-backed Dolphins have been seen north of Santa Cruz, California, and this dolphin is a non-migratory species.

STATUS
While Saddle-backed Dolphins are abundant off the coast of California, they are uncommon British Columbia waters, which is the extreme northern limit of their range. COSEWIC has listed this dolphin as not at risk.

DISTRIBUTION
Found worldwide, the Saddle-backed Dolphin inhabits the continental shelf region of subtropical and temperate waters. This species generally inhabits waters at least 180 m deep and prefers temperatures ranging from 10°C to 28°C. In the eastern North Pacific, the Saddle-backed Dolphin ranges as far north as California. But there is a single record of one stranded at Victoria, B.C.; this is regarded as a stray, outside the normal range.