When it comes to cetaceans, estimating the life expectancy of 40 or so dolphin species can be quite challenging as there is no specific answer for all of them.
Luckily, some facts and estimates have been acquired about certain dolphin species, which can help clarify this topic and provide some reasonable assumptions about the average lifespan of these marine mammals.
At the end of this article, we’ve also included a list with estimates for the life expectancy of several dolphin species.
The average life expectancy of a dolphin can be determined by several varying factors such as the dolphin’s habitat, geography, diet (both what they eat and the amount of food available to them), level of endangerment (which can affect its ability to repopulate), health status, social structure (species that engage in a positive social culture may or may not live longer than dolphins that do not) and the dolphins species.
Female killer whales, for example, are highly social and have been known to live for as many as 90 years.
However, the average life expectancy for a female killer whale is usually around 50 years.
Male killer whales may live to be 50 – 60 years old but generally only live until around 30.
When brought up in captivity and isolated from friends and family members, the killer whales’ life expectancy dramatically declines, and most killer whales usually don’t live past their 20s.
As you can see, a dolphin’s environment, social bonds, and diet can significantly determine how long they are likely to live.
Dolphins that live in captivity may have shorter lifespans than those in the wild, despite being in a protected environment and well cared for.
Factors such as diet (captive dolphins are often fed a strict diet that may not include the prey they typically consume or be prepared in a way they would generally finish it), a closed environment (being separated from the vast and open ocean), and a lack of a robust social structure (being separated from family and potential friends) may all contribute to the shorter lifespan of captive dolphins.
A dolphin species also plays a significant role in determining how long a dolphin will live.
For example, the Amazon river dolphin ( a freshwater dolphin) has a life expectancy of only 15 – 20 years, while the Stripped dolphin may live 50 – 60 years.
While it is unclear whether or not their habitat is solely responsible for their lifespan, we can assume that their lifespan may be partially based on their species.
Estimated life Expectancies of Several Dolphin Species:
- The Amazon river dolphin has a 15 – 20 year lifespan on average. However, some river dolphins live into their 30’s
- The Baiji dolphin has a 20 – 25 year lifespan
- The Dusky dolphin has a 20 – 25 year lifespan
- Hector’s dolphin has a 15 – 20 year lifespan
- The Chinese river dolphin has an average life span of 25 years
- The Common bottlenose dolphin has a 20 – 50 year lifespan (20 – 30 year lifespan on average)
- The Irrawaddy dolphin has a 25 – 30 year lifespan
- Maui’s dolphin has a 20-year lifespan on average. However, some dolphins may live into their 30s
- The Killer whale has a 30 – 50 year lifespan (some killer whales have been estimated to live for over 90 years, while captive killer whales have an average lifespan of 25 years or less)
- The Striped dolphin has a 50 – 60 year lifespan
- The Yangtze river dolphin has a 20 – 25 year lifespan