Stenella frontalis
Silhouette: Chris huh · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) is a dolphin found in warm temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Older members of the species have a very distinctive spotted coloration all over their bodies.
The Atlantic spotted dolphin was first described by Cuvier in 1828. Considerable variation in the physical form of individuals occurs in the species, and specialists have long been uncertain as to the correct taxonomic classification. Currently, just one species is recognised, but a large, particularly spotty variant commonly found near Florida quite possibly may be classified as a formal subspecies or indeed a species in its own right.
Atlantic spotted dolphins in the Bahamas have been observed mating with bottlenose dolphins. Rich LeDuc has published data that suggest the Atlantic spotted dolphin may be more closely related to the bottlenose dolphins (genus Tursiops) than to other members of the genus Stenella. More recent studies in the 2020s indicate that this is a consequence of reticulate evolution (such as past hybridization between Stenella (spotted dolphins) and ancestral Tursiops (bottlenose dolphins)) and incomplete lineage sorting, and...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 2 | Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report an Atlantic Spotted Dolphin sighting in Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 13 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report an Atlantic Spotted Dolphin in Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) on a given day, against under 5% in April–June and October, the lowest months. That is one of Pico Island Natural Park (Azores)'s driest months, with about 70 mm of rain against 250 mm in December. January has too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Atlantic Spotted Dolphin sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Atlantic Spotted Dolphin sightings, Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) (Spain, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin is recorded against all the mammals logged in Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) (26 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
