Southern right whale dolphins (Lissodelphis peronii) are distributed from the subtropical to the subantarctic oceans of the southern hemisphere, although their range and total population size has been little studied. In Africa, their range is associated with cold currents up the western and southern coasts, with a concentration recorded near Namibia. Southern right whale dolphins are graceful, slim-bodied creatures and are the only dolphins without dorsal fins in the southern hemisphere. They often move by leaping out of the water continuously and they boast breaching, belly-flopping, side-slapping and lob-tailing (slapping the flukes on the water surface) in their acrobatic repertoire. They typically live in groups of up to 100 individuals; some groups are more nervous than others and will swim away from boats, whereas others will approach boats and possibly bow-ride. For more information visit the MammalMAP virtual museum and blog.
