Risso's
dolphins are quite easy to identify, especially when
they get older. This is because they become scarred
and battered due to being scratched by the teeth of
other Risso's dolphins. They only have teeth in the
front of their lower jaw and these are used when playing
or fighting.
When born they are grey all over, and then become chocolate-brown
and eventually pale grey with a pale underside. Their
flippers and tail remain darker though, and the flukes
are broad with pointed tips.
They have a very tall dorsal fin which can be up to
50cm in length, the tip of which may be curved or pointed.
Instead of a beak, it has a blunt head with bulging
forehead that slopes steeply to the mouth which curves
upwards.
