Heaviside's Dolphin can be found in cold waters along the south-western coast of Africa.

Classification: Gray first described Heaviside's Dolphin after a specimen was brought to him by a Captain Haviside in 1827. The additional 'e' in the name is probably a case of mistaken identity - another captain, this time Captain Heaviside (complete with 'e'), was a surgeon who collected non-cetacean specimens. Originally assigned to the Delphinus genus, this species was re-assigned to Cephalorhynchus by Cuvier a year later.

Local Names: South African Dolphin; Benguela Dolphin.

Description: Heaviside's Dolphin is small and stocky. The fore half of the body is uniformly grey in colour, with the dorsal cape, fin, flanks and keel being dark blue-black. A similarly-coloured stripe runs from the blowhole to the cape. The flippers and eyepatch are the same colour. The beak is indistinct, and there are 44-56 teeth in each jaw. The underside is white, with white 'armpits' behind the flippers and a rhombus shape on the chest. A finger-shaped patch extends from the belly along each flank. Adults grow to around 1.7m in length and weigh around 60-70kg.

Recognition at sea: Due to the striking combination of colours, Heaviside's Dolphins are not likely to be confused with any other species.

Habitat: Heaviside's Dolphins prefer coastal waters of less than 150m deep.

Food & Feeding: Heaviside's Dolphins seem to prey on fish, though information about this is limited.

Behavior: This species is normally found in units of between 2-10 animals, and occasionally up to 30 individuals gather together for a short amount of time.

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