When Dolphins Fall in Love...

Sometimes a dolphin falls in love with a dolphin that's not their own kind! And when that happens, the baby is called a "hybrid".


Ever hear of a Wolphin? That's a hybrid of a Bottlenose dolphin and a False Killer whale (which *we* know is really a dolphin in disguise; see Killers in Disguise)  


Scroll down, and you'll see a picture of a Wolphin!



I love hybrids...they're fascinating. They happen with captive dolphins as well as wild ones.  Here are some examples:

• 2006 Whale Watching Data: "Feb 6...1 hybrid Bottlenose / Risso's dolphin!!"*

• In 2000, a hybrid between Dusky dolphin / Southern Rightwhale dolphin was photographed off Argentina!** (see photo below)

• In 1933, three strange dolphins beached of the Irish coast; they appeared to be hybrids between Risso's dolphin / Bottlenose dolphin.

Interestingly, it appears that hybrid dolphins can also reproduce. Sea World has a Wolphin that recently had a baby Wolphin, fathered by a Bottlenose.


To show you how amazing these hybrids are, check out the examples below...and keep scrolling down if you want to see the Dusky/Southern Rightwhale dolphin hybrid, it's just amazing!

Dusky/Southern Rightwhale dolphin hybrid:

A) Dusky dolphin    


B) Southern Rightwhale dolphin


C) Photographed hybrid of both

Stay tuned for my next post on albino dolphins!

*  read the Whale Watching log
** read more on Dusky/S. Rightwhale dolphin hybrid