Mother and baby dolphins close-up postcard

A stunning postcard of two beautiful and curious dolphins, swimming straight at you. This photo was taken during a boat trip in the Tasman Sea. A special and never to be forgotten moment that you can now send to everyone to make them smile. The Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is a slender streamlined dolphin with a moderately long beak, tall dorsal fin and large tapering flippers. The Common Dolphin has an attractively marked flank of yellow, buff and grey patches forms a sweeping hour glass shape brought into stark relief by the dark grey upper body and white belly. A number of bold dark stripes sweeping along the body further add to the dramatic appearance of this species. Like many widely distributed cetaceans, there appears to be a number of forms based on morphological differences and supported by genetic studies. A long beaked and a short beaked form are recognised. Common Dolphins appear to favour continental shelf and pelagic waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans within the broad zones of the temperate and tropical latitudes. The presence of warm water influences the distribution of this species. Forming groups, which often number in the thousands the common dolphin travels at a fast and furious pace leaping clear of the water giving the appearance of a coordinated display. The main prey of the Common Dolphin are squid and small school fish such as sardines, pilchards and anchovies. To take advantage of the movement of these organisms the dolphin will often feed at night, driving the swarming prey to the surface and feeding on the resultant confusion. This cooperative feeding strategy will often benefit surface feeding predators such as birds.