California mammals

Common Dolphin in California

Delphinus delphis

Native to California SNR Unranked in California

Not listed as nonindigenous in California by USGS NAS; native to its California range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Small group of common dolphins surfacing in choppy water, pale hourglass flank patch visibleDelphinus delphis with calfCommon Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0Small group of common dolphins surfacing in choppy water, pale hourglass flank patch visiblePhoto: Jessica Redfern (according to photo caption) · Public domainDelphinus delphis with calfPhoto: Gavin Skeen · CC BY 4.0Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)Photo: Mathew Robinson · CC0Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)

Common Dolphin in California, by the numbers

Common in California 44th most recorded of 241 mammals logged in California

2,711 occurrence records
1,727 with iNaturalist photos

2,711 total records count every California occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 2,698 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Common Dolphin in California

Most sightings fall in March to September.

2,698 California occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly California records (table)
MonthRecords
January177
February187
March279
April305
May381
June237
July229
August229
September244
October178
November133
December119

Monthly common dolphin occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in California.

Seasonality

Year-round in California, with recorded sightings peaking in March–September.

Occurrence map

Where Common Dolphin has been recorded in California

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 California records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Channel Islands National Park 51
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 39
Crystal Cove State Park 10
Torrey Pines State Reserve 8
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve 7
San Elijo State Beach 6
Pismo State Beach 4
Point Reyes National Seashore 4

Protected places with the most common dolphin sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in California

CountyRecords
Los Angeles County 299
San Diego County 279
Orange County 176
Santa Barbara County 104
Ventura County 77
San Luis Obispo County 35
Monterey County 16
Marin County 14
San Mateo County 9
San Francisco County 3
Santa Cruz County 3
Fresno County 3
5 other counties 1,693

The complete county distribution, spread across 17 California counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Common Dolphin records in California fit nearshore and offshore water along the California Current.

Reports center on Monterey Bay, the Channel Islands, and the Southern California Bight. They show where people have documented the species, and they don’t rank California’s best habitat.

Reports rise most clearly in Aug. That pattern can reflect animal movements, weather, and observer effort, so it isn’t a population count.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Small group of common dolphins surfacing in choppy water, pale hourglass flank patch visible
Full species profile Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis Size 1.6–2.6 m5.2–8.5 ft Weight 70–110 kg154.3–242.5 lb Lifespan Up to 25 yr View the full profile

More mammals in California in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"