Dear reader,

Whalecome at the introduction of the whales of Skjálfandi bay part 4. After the blue whale, the porpoise and the minke whale lets introduce the white-beaked dolphin!

Latin name: Lagenorhynchus albirostris       
Common name: White-beaked dolphin       
Icelandic name:          
Average life span: 30-40 years old
Diet: Fish, crustaceans and cephalopods    
Size: 3.1 meters          
Weight: 180-350kg

White-beaked dolphins are endemic to the North Atlantic ocean. They can only be found from the north east coast of America and the north west of Europe up to Spitsbergen. White-beaked dolphins are very social, they live in groups called pods from 5 to 50 dolphins, during certain social aggregations these pods can contain over 100 or even 1000 dolphins. White-beaked dolphins are also known to have all male pods called ´alliances´ and all female pods called ´parties´. They are fast swimmers, they can reach speeds of 45km/h. When they are traveling at speed they sometimes jump.
White-beaked dolphins reach sexual maturity around the age of 7, breeding season is from May through September. The gestation period is 11 months, when the calves are born they are 1 meter long and weigh 40 kg.

Young white-beaked dolphins love to play in the wake of boats and larger whales. They like it so much that they can even harass whales to swim faster so they can play in the wake.           
Each dolphin has a slightly different tone range, from which other dolphins can understand who said something through clicks and whistles.

White-beaked dolphins stay in Skjálfandi bay throughout the year. During the summer months it is possible to see mother and calf pairs.

Then it's time to introduce tubers to the game, but they are quite a common sight in Skjálfandaflói.

Latin name: Lagenorhynchus albirostris   
English name: White-beaked dolphin  
Icelandic name:  A tuber
Average lifespan: 30 – 40 years         
Food choices: Fish, crustaceans and octopuses  
Size: approximately 3 meters           
Weight: 180 350-kg

Tubers are endemic to the North Atlantic. It can only be found from the northeast coast of the United States and northwest Europe up to Spitsbergen in Svalbard. Tubers are very social. They live in groups numbering anywhere from five to 50, but under special conditions the groups can be anywhere from 100 to 1000 tubers. Sometimes the groups are divided by gender.

Tubers can swim very fast or up to 45 km/h. When traveling at maximum speed, they sometimes leap along what they swim.
Tubers become sexually mature at about 7 years old. Availability is from May to September. The gestation period is 11 months and when the calves are born they are 1 meter long and weigh 40 kg.  

Young tubers love to play in the wake of boats and larger whales. They enjoy it so much that they sometimes harass whales to make them swim faster so that a wake is created.

Each tuber has a specific pitch that other tubers can distinguish through the whistles and clicks they emit.

Tubers can be found in Skjálfandaflói all year round. During the summer you can sometimes see mother and offspring together.