Spinner dolphins are famed for the acrobatic spins, but just why and how do they perform these gymnastic moves?
True athletes of the sea, spinner dolphins are famed for doing just that – leaping out of the water in spectacular 3m aerial corkscrews.
How do spinner dolphins spin?
To perform the pirouette, an individual accelerates through the water with rapid pumps of the tail, then uses its muscle power to drive a tight twist as it breaks the surface. Underwater, a spinner can generate one to two rotations per second, but out in the open air it can perform up to seven. The display usually ends with a resounding bellyflop.
Why do spinner dolphins spin?
Theories abound as to why spinners spin. The behaviour could convey a state such as happiness, anger or fear; it may be a display of dominance or courtship; it could be play, or a means of detaching parasites and remoras. The splash of the bellyflop may be a method of communication, informing others near and far of an individual’s position in the water.
Where do spinner dolphins live?
Spinner dolphins live in in tropical and subtropical oceans and seas around the world and are the most abundant dolphin species in the Indian Ocean.
This article by Sarah McPherson was first published by Discover Wildlife on 4 June 2025.
Wildlife in catastrophic decline
The 73% decline in vertebrate wildlife populations during the last 50 years (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish), is primarily driven by human activities that threaten biodiversity.
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