Did You Know? Killer whales are the top predator in the ocean; a healthy adult can prey on anything that lives in the sea and has no predators of its own. View More Commerson’s dolphin » Bengal Tiger » Asian Elephant » Bald Eagle » Commerson's Dolphin » Bornean Orangutan » Humboldt penguin » Hawaiian Monk Seal » Red-legged seriema » Western Lowland Gorilla

Common name: Commerson’s dolphin Scientific name: Cephalorhynchus commersonii Size: 47 to 67 in. (120-170 cm) Weight: 77 to 132 lbs. (35-60 kg) Status: Protected, but not endangered Threats to survival: Accidental netting or entanglement in fishing gear, illegal hunting, habitat destruction and pollution. What the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks are doing: Scientists at the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute recently conducted a visual and acoustic behavior study with Commerson’s dolphins in an effort to help prevent accidental entanglement in fishing gear. Hubbs’ researchers observed the responses by Commerson’s, as well as other dolphin species, to gillnets with and without an attached pinger. Pingers are designed as alarms, to warn marine life that a net is present. The Commerson’s responded to the pinger with avoidance and flight behavior, and spent 56 percent less time near the pingered net over many trials. However, they did not learn to avoid the non-pingered net. The results suggested the pingers are effective because the dolphins avoid the sound rather than the net. The dolphins involved in the study were part of SeaWorld San Diego’s Commerson’s dolphin population. SeaWorld San Diego is the only facility with Commerson’s dolphins in the Western Hemisphere. After a five-year hiatus from public display, the Commerson’s can now be enjoyed by guests at SeaWorld San Diego’s new Journey To Atlantis® attraction.