# What Do Bottlenose Dolphins Eat?

> What bottlenose dolphins eat: Carnivore, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Warm and temperate coastal and open seas.

- **Species:** Bottlenose Dolphin (*Tursiops truncatus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore
- **Habitat:** Warm and temperate coastal and open seas
- **Lifespan:** 40–60 years
- **Top speed:** Up to 35 km/h (22 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/bottlenose-dolphin/what-do-bottlenose-dolphin-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/bottlenose-dolphin/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

Bottlenose dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals found in warm and temperate seas worldwide. They live in social groups called pods, use echolocation to navigate and hunt, and communicate with clicks and whistles, including signature whistles that work like names. They typically live 40 to 60 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Intelligence

Bottlenose dolphins are among the most intelligent animals on Earth. They use tools, recognize themselves in mirrors, solve complex problems, and teach skills to their young, such as covering their snouts with sponges to protect them while foraging.

## Help protect the Bottlenose Dolphin

Dolphins face bycatch, pollution and shrinking, degraded waters across much of their range.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/bottlenose-dolphin/what-do-bottlenose-dolphin-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.