SINGLE CETACEANS | CETACEAN SERIES | OTHER WILDLIFE
Single Cetaceans
Omura’s whale (Balaenoptera omurai)
Digital
Made in cooperation with, and commissioned by Salvatore Cerchio of http://www.omuraswhale.org/
Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)
Digital
The distribution and ecological interaction between these two species is very interesting. In many places, two types of Common bottlenose dolphin exist:
• The coastal / inshore type, which inhabits small ranges in (very) shallow water
• The oceanic / offshore type, which inhabits very large ranges in deep water
The oceanic type can appear quite close to shore in places where the seafloor quickly drops (here the coastal type is often absent), but in most areas with extended shallows the coastal type will make its home. However, once you enter the range of the Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin, the coastal type disappears. Indo-pacific bottlenoses completely fill their coastal niche, and only oceanic-type Common bottlenoses remain. This situation is very noticeable in Australia, which these illustrations are based on.
It’s interesting to note though that coastal Common bottlenose dolphins from warmer waters can look incredibly similar to Indo-pacific bottlenoses: including a longer beak, large fins and spotted undersides (which are usually seen as Indo-pacific-specific traits). Curiously, spotting is actually absent on Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins from the southern half of Australia.
Short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) female and calf
Digital
Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)
Digital
Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)
Digital
Vaquita (Phocoena sinus)
Digital
Commissioned by the Porpoise Conservation Society
Dall’s porpoise dalli type (Phocoenoides dalli dalli) male, female, calf
Digital
Commissioned by the Porpoise Conservation Society
Dall’s porpoise truei type (Phocoenoides dalli truei) male, female, calf
Digital
Commissioned by the Porpoise Conservation Society
Burmeister’s porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis)
Digital
Commissioned by the Porpoise Conservation Society
Killer whales (Orcinus orca) bull, cow and calf
Digital
Commissioned by the Norwegian Orca Survey
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) lifesize painting
Digital
A lifesize illustration of a female Southern Hemisphere humpback whale. Commissioned by Richnerstutz for Zoo Zurich. There the whale will be printed at 9.5 metres length, to accompany an exhibition on humpback whales in Masaola Bay of Madagascar.