While not indigenous to the area, the Bottlenose dolphin is a frequent visitor to the islands. They often travel alongside boats, leaping and showing off for the passengers. They are very fast, usually swimming at 3 to 6 miles per hour, but for short periods can reach speeds up to 21 miles per hour.

The most common and well-known dolphin, the Bottlenose lives in pods of up to 12 animals, social groups that they maintain for years. Though their sense of smell is poor, their eyesight is remarkably good.

Research conducted since the 1970s suggests that dolphins are among the most intelligent creatures on the planet, evidenced by acoustic and behavioral mimicry, impressive memory, discrimination and matching, object categorization, comprehension of symbols and numerical values, and self-recognition. It’s even been speculated that they have a capacity for language and using tools; Bottlenoses have been seen to stick marine sponges to their rostrum (their jaws), to shield it while skimming the sea bottom for food.

These truly gifted animals have a stable population and high adaptability to their surroundings. But of course, human interaction can and has damaged their environment, as is sometimes the case when people fish for tuna.