Nai'a (dolphins) Common to Hawaii
The Hawaiian word for dolphin is nai'a. Personalized, unhurried excursions with knowledgable crew, and limited passenger counts make our encounters unique.
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN (Tursiops Truncatus): Common
throughout Hawaii. Known for their inshore habitats, playfulness around vessels and captive performances at oceanariums, bottlenose dolphins are probably the most popular of all cetacean species. 
Adults range in size from seven to eleven feet in length and weigh between 600 and 850 pounds. Their backs are medium gray, their sides are lighter gray and their bellies are white or pink. Offshore animals are darker in color than those found inshore.
Bottlenose Dolphin Pictures
A few thousand bottlenose dolphins are believed to inhabit the waters around Hawaii, usually living in groups of two to fifteen individuals. Most of these groups are permanent residents of certain coastlines and harbors.
Bottlenose dolphins establish and maintain dominance by biting, chasing, jaw-clapping, and smacking their tails on the water. Dolphins often show aggression by scratching one another with their teeth, leaving surface wounds that heal quickly.
"Rakes" or traces of light parallel stripes remain on the skin of the dolphin. These marks have been seen in virtually all species of dolphins.
During courtship, they engage in head-butting and tooth-scratching.
Bottlenose dolphins have been seen in groups of other toothed 
whales such as pilot whales, spinner dolphins, spotted dolphins, and rough-toothed dolphins. They also ride pressure waves of humpback whales!
Our wildlife tours focus on education and conservation so that an
interactive relationship can be maintained in the best interest of
both humans and dolphins. We strive to foster admiration and deep respect for
these wonder-ful marine mammals.
Links
to Whales, Dolphins and other marine mammals
SPINNER DOLPHINS l PANTROPICAL SPOTTED DOLPHIN l BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN l ROUGH-TOOTHED DOLPHIN l Whales of Hawaii l Sea Turtles l Monk
Seals l SeaBirds l Coral Spawning l Manta
and Spotted Eagle Rays l Sharks
of Hawaii | Dolphin Documentary l l Dolphin
Pictures and Videos
Take Action l Whale and Dolphin Research l About the Wild Dolphin Foundation l Dolphin Tours| Photos l Other Resources l Internships
