A slender dolphin without a dorsal fin, it has a black back and white underside and may travel in large groups in cool southern offshore waters.
Adults have no dorsal fin. Their slender bodies are black above and white below, with a curved boundary along the sides; the beak and flippers are also white.
In 2000, researchers surveyed dolphins off northern Chile on nine cruises between March and December. Across 158 days at sea, they followed 102 transects totaling about 9,703 kilometres. The survey extended from the coast to 70°27′ west, covering waters from 18°30′ to 25°23′ south. It recorded eight dolphin species, including the Southern Right Whale Dolphin.
Of 5,841 dolphins observed, 882 were Southern Right Whale Dolphins, or 15.1% of the total. All records of this species fell between 23°00′ and 24°59′ south. North of Tocopilla, dolphin distribution was related to the coastal upwelling front; off the Mejillones Peninsula, relative abundance and diversity were associated with a broad upwelling plume.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
North of Tocopilla, dolphin distribution was related to the coastal upwelling front; off Mejillones, relative abundance and diversity were associated with the upwelling plume.