Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin

Found in cool to cold North Atlantic waters, these highly social cetaceans typically travel in boisterous groups of dozens to several hundred individuals, often associating with other whale and dolphin species over the continental shelf and shelf edge. Watch for their distinctive yellow-ochre and white lateral patches flashing beneath the surface as they breach, bow-ride, and porpoise energetically alongside vessels — their acrobatic surface activity is among the most conspicuous of any North Atlantic dolphin. Late summer through autumn offers prime viewing opportunities off New England, Atlantic Canada, and the waters around Iceland and Norway, particularly on calm, low-glare days when scanning open offshore waters is most productive.