Mike Unwin

Commerson's Dolphin

About the Commerson's Dolphin

The Commerson's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) is named after Philippe Commerson, a French naturalist who encountered these dolphins during his explorations near the Strait of Magellan in 1767. Due to its striking black-and-white appearance, the Commerson's Dolphin is also known as the Panda Dolphin.

Their black-and-white colour pattern is called disruptive colouration. It helps them camouflage and protects them from predators. Commerson's Dolphins are not very big. They are around 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and weigh up to 86 kg (190 lbs).

There are two populations of Commerson's Dolphins. The first one lives along the coasts of southern South America and near South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. The second population lives 8,500 km (5,300 miles) away, in coastal waters around the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Despite such vast distances, the two populations of Commerson's Dolphins are recognised as the same species.

Commonality of Commerson's Dolphins

The South American subspecies of Commerson's Dolphins are common within their range. They are known to frequent nearshore waters, which makes them relatively easy to spot. Due to the remoteness of the habitat, the Kerguelen Islands population is less frequently observed by people.

Protection & Threats

Commerson's Dolphins are listed as Least Concern by IUCN; however, the Kerguelen population is currently listed as Endangered in the regional IUCN Red List for French Southern Territories. Commerson's Dolphins are protected under various conservation measures. Because they inhabit nearshore waters, they are at risk of accidental entanglement in fishing gear. Other threats to them are pollution and climate change.