Marine Mammals of Ponta
There are four main species of dolphins that are observed in the area, together with the mightly humpback whale and occasional southern right whales.​
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Check out the special marine mammal species below.​
Size: 2,5m = 184kg
Teeth: 35 pairs UL
Diet: Reef fish, sandy bottom fish, pelagic fish & cephalopods
Habitat: Coastal
Longevity ±45
Gestation:±12 months
Maturity: ± 12 to 15
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STATUS
Near threatened
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose
Size: 2,5m = 196kg
Teeth: ± 37 pairs UL
Diet: Fish, mollusks & crustaceans
Habitat: Coastal, estuarine
Longevity: ±46+
Gestation: ± 12 months
Maturity: ± 10 to 13
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STATUS
Endangered
Indian Ocean Humpback
Size: 1,5m = 33kg
Teeth: ± 35 pairs UL
Diet: Fish & cephalopods
Habitat: Occurring inshore and in the open ocean.
Longevity: ±39-45.5
Gestation: ±11.5 months
Maturity: 10 to 16 years
STATUS
Least concern
Pantropical Spotted
Size: 1,8m = 57kg
Diet: Fish, squid & crustaceans
Habitat: Occurring inshore and in the open ocean.
Longevity: ±20
Gestation: ± 10,5months
Maturity: 4 to 10
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STATUS
Least concern
Long-snouted Spinner
Size: 10m = 14,9 tonnes
Baleen: 300 plate pairs
Diet: Krill, shrimp like crustaceans; small fish (1 - 1,2 tons p/day)
Longevity: ± 45 to 50
Gestation: ± 12 months
Maturity: ± 13m in length
STATUS
Least concern
Humpback Whale
Size: 11m = 16,34 tonnes
Baleen: 222 plate pears
DIET: Krill, copepods & small crustacea
Longevity: ±50 to 70
Gestation: ± 12 to 13 months
MATURITY: ± 14m in length
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STATUS
Endangered
Southern Right Whale
Research suggests the humpback whale migration is highly structured; females with nursing calves tend to leave first, followed by immatures of both sexes, then the mature males and resting females and lastly females in late pregnancy start the treck.
These departures tend to last around a month. On departing breeding grounds, first off are newly pregnant and resting females, followed by the immatures, mature males and lastly females with newborns. Reference: P.Best
Southern Rights are a rare and exciting visitor to our shores, after their near demise from whaling during which time they were reduced from estimates of 60 000 to only 300 (60 breeding females) in 1920 (IWC, 2001; Jackson et al., 2008; Tormosov et al., 1998).
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Although only a few sightings have been had of this species it provides evidence that southern right whales are using the coastal waters of Mozambique again.
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Did you know whales also have a fingerprint.
For humpback whales it's the back of their fluke(tail) and dorsal fins, for southern rights its the callosities found on the head!
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