Diving Capacity — Maximum Depth — Odontoceti (Dolphins)

Despite being commonly associated with the surface, dolphins are surprisingly capable divers. The bottlenose dolphin leads with dives reaching 1,000 metres, followed by Fraser’s dolphin and Risso’s dolphin at 800 metres each. The Atlantic spotted dolphin is the shallowest diver, reaching only 60 metres — adapted to coastal and continental shelf waters. These capacities reflect different hunting strategies and diets across species.

Chart Data Table

Species	Maximum depth (meters)
Atlantic spotted dolphin	60
Bottlenose dolphin	1,000
Common dolphin	200
Fraser’s dolphin	800
Risso’s dolphin	800
Rough-toothed dolphin	300
Striped dolphin	700

References (with hyperlinked sources)

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Savage, M. (2000). “Stenella coeruleoalba” — Animal Diversity Web
MBM (2021). Fichas de identificação de cetáceos no Arquipélago da Madeira. 66p. (no public URL — recurring, per tracker)
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