Fam.: Delphinidae

Risso's dolphins are large, blunt-headed animals without distinct beaks. They are easily identified at sea by their very tall dorsal fins and their unique coloration and scarring. Adults are greyish in colour, typically covered with white scratches, spots and blotches. They are widely distributed in deep oceanic and continental slope waters, from the tropics to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. They are locally abundant along the west coast of Ireland and around the Outer Hebrides, especially where the continental shelf is narrow and deep water is found close to the coast.

Illustrations: M. Camm