Rough-toothed dolphins in Hawai‘i

Rough-toothed dolphins are the third-most frequently encountered species of toothed whale in our study, representing 14% of all odontocete sightings from 2000 through 2021. Rough-toothed dolphins are primarily a deep-water species, and sighting rates tend to increase with depth. Off Hawai‘i Island they tend to remain in waters deeper than 1,000 m. Off Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, however, they use shallow water much more frequently, with half of all sightings taking place in depths shallower than 1,000 m.

As well as photo-identifying individuals to examine movements and social organization, we have also collected biopsy samples of this species for contribution to genetic studies of stock structure, being undertaken by Renee Albertson at Oregon State University. Analyses of the genetic samples indicate the population off the island of Hawai‘i is genetically differentiated from the population off Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau.

Leaping Steno pair Oct 29 RWb_0
rough-toothed dolphin, Steno, Steno bredanensis, Kauai, Hawaii

Videos of rough-toothed dolphins in Hawai'i

We occasionally collect video footage of rough-toothed dolphins as part of our field work in Hawai‘i – you can view some of our videos below!

Playlist

2 Videos

For more information on rough-toothed dolphins see:

  • Shaff, J.F., and R.W. Baird. 2021. Diel and lunar variation in diving behavior of rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) off Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i. Marine Mammal Science 2021, 1-16. doi: 10.1111/mms.12811. Available from Wiley.
  • Baird, R.W., C.J. Cornforth, S.M. Jarvis, N.A. DiMarzio, K. Dolan, E.E. Henderson, S.W. Martin, S.L. Watwood, S.D. Mahaffy, B.D. Guenther, J.K. Lerma, A.E. Harnish, and M.A. Kratofil. 2021. Odontocete Studies on the Pacific Missile Range Facility in February 2020: Satellite-Tagging, Photo-Identification, and Passive Acoustic Monitoring. Prepared for Commander, Pacific Fleet, under Contract No. N62470-15-D-8006 Task Order N6274219F0101 issued to HDR Inc., Honolulu, HI. Download PDF copy.
  • Apprill, A., C.A. Miller, A.M. Van Cise, J.M. U’Ren, M.S. Leslie, L. Weber, R.W. Baird, J. Robbins, S. Landry, A. Bogomolni, and G. Waring. 2020. Marine Mammal Skin Microbiotas Are Influenced by Host Phylogeny. Royal Society Open Science 7:192046. doi: 10.1098/rsos.192046. Download PDF copy.
  • Mahaffy, S.D., and R.W. Baird. 2019. Long-Term Mom/Calf Associations in Rough-Toothed Dolphins off the Island of Hawai‘i: Evidence of a Stable Matrilineal Social Structure in a Deep-Water Dolphin? Poster presented at the World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, Spain, December 7-12. Download poster PDF
  • Baird, R.W., D.L. Webster, S.M. Jarvis, E.E. Henderson, S.L. Watwood, S.D. Mahaffy, B.D. Guenther, J.K. Lerma, C.J. Cornforth, A.W. Vanderzee, and D.B. Anderson. 2019. Odontocete studies on the Pacific Missile Range Facility in August 2018: satellite-tagging, photo-identification, and passive acoustic monitoring. Prepared for Commander, Pacific Fleet, under Contract No. N62470-15-D-8006 Task Order 6274218F0107 issued to HDR Inc., Honolulu, HI. Download PDF copy
  • Baird, R.W., E.E. Henderson, S.W. Martin, and B.L. Southall. 2019. Assessing Odontocete Exposure and Response to Mid-Frequency Active Sonar During Submarine Command Courses at the Pacific Missile Range Facility: 2016-2018. Prepared for Commander, Pacific Fleet, under Contract No. N62470-15-D-8006 Task Order KB16 issued to HDR Inc., Honolulu, HI. Download PDF Copy.
  • Jarvis, S.M., E.E. Henderson, T.J. Brookens and D.L. Webster. 2019. Acoustic observation of the reaction of rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) to vocalizations, most likely from killer whales (Orcinus orca), off Kaua‘i. Marine Mammal Science. doi: 10.1111/mms.12580 Download PDF copy
  • Baird, R.W., D.L. Webster, S.M. Jarvis, K.A. Wood, C.J. Cornforth, S.D. Mahaffy, K.K. Martien, K.M. Robertson, D.B. Anderson, and D.J. Moretti. 2018. Odontocete studies on the Pacific Missile Range Facility in August 2017: satellite-tagging, photo-identification, and passive acoustic monitoring. Prepared for Commander, Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, HI. Download PDF copy
  • Baird, R.W., D.L. Webster, S.D. Mahaffy, A.M. Gorgone, E.M. Walters and D.B. Anderson. 2017. Studies of dolphins and whales on and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility using photo-identification and satellite tagging: evidence for resident and non-resident species. Prepared under Contract No. N66604-14-C0145 from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. Read Introduction
  • Baird, R.W., S.W. Martin, R. Manzano-Roth, D.L. Webster and B.L. Southall. 2017. Assessing exposure and response of three species of odontocetes to mid-frequency active sonar during submarine commanders courses at the Pacific Missile Range Facility: August 2013 through February 2015. Prepared for U.S. Pacific Fleet, submitted to NAVFAC PAC by HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc., Honolulu, Hawai’i. Download PDF copy
  • Albertson, A. Alexander, K.K. Martien, R.W. Baird, M. Oremus, S.J. Caballero-Gaitan, M. Poole, R.L. Brownell, D. Duffield, C.S. Baker. 2017. Worldwide phylogeography of the rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) described using mitogenomes and nuclear introns. Abstract (Proceedings) 22nd Biennial on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Halifax, Nova Scotia, October 22-27, 2017. View abstract
  • Baird, R.W., D.L. Webster, R. Morrissey, B.K. Rone, S.D. Mahaffy, A.M. Gorgone, D.B. Anderson, E.E. Henderson, S.W. Martin, and D.J. Moretti. 2017. Odontocete studies on the Pacific Missile Range Facility in February 2016: satellite-tagging, photo-identification, and passive acoustic monitoring. Prepared for Commander, Pacific Fleet, Honolulu, HI. Download PDF copy
  • Albertson, G.R., R.W. Baird, M. Oremus, M.M. Poole, K.K. Martien and C.S. Baker. 2016. Staying close to home? Genetic differentiation of rough-toothed dolphins near oceanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. Conservation Genetics doi: 10.1007/s10592-016-0880-z. Download PDF copy
  • Apprill, A., C.A. Miller, R.W. Baird, J. Robbins, M.E. Niemeyer, G.T. Waring, A. Bogomolni, S. Landry. 2015. Comparison of skin microbiomes across 16 marine mammal species. Abstract (Proceedings) 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Francisco, California, December 14-18, 2015. View abstract
  • Baird, R.W., A.N. Dilley, D.L. Webster, R. Morrissey, B.K. Rone, S.M. Jarvis, S.D. Mahaffy, A.M. Gorgone and D.J. Moretti. 2015. Odontocete studies on the Pacific Missile Range Facility in February 2014: satellite-tagging, photo-identification, and passive acoustic monitoring. Prepared for Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, submitted to Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific by HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc. Download PDF copy
  • Baird, R.W., D. Cholewiak, D.L. Webster, G.S. Schorr, S.D. Mahaffy, C. Curtice, J. Harrison and S.M. Van Parijs. 2015. Biologically important areas for cetaceans within U.S. waters – Hawai‘i region. Aquatic Mammals 41:54-64. Download PDF copy
  • Webster, D.L., R.W. Baird, B.K. Rone and D.B. Anderson. 2015. Rough-toothed dolphins on a Navy range in Hawai‘i: using LIMPET satellite-tag data to assess movements, habitat use, and overlap with Navy activities. Poster presented at the 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Francisco, California, December 14-18, 2015. Download PDF copy
  • Foltz, K., R.W. Baird, G.M. Ylitalo and B.A. Jensen. 2014. Cytochrome P4501A1 expression in blubber biopsies of endangered false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) and nine other odontocete species from Hawai’i. Ecotoxicology. doi: 10.1007/s10646-014-1300-0. Download PDF copy
  • Albertson, G.R. 2014. Worldwide phylogeography and local population structure of the rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis). Ph.D. Dissertation, Oregon State University.Download PDF copy
  • Baird, R.W., D.L. Webster, J.M. Aschettino, G.S. Schorr and D.J. McSweeney. 2013. Odontocete cetaceans around the main Hawaiian Islands: habitat use and relative abundance from small-boat sighting surveys. Aquatic Mammals 39: 253-269 Download PDF copy
  • Baird, R.W., D.L. Webster, S.D. Mahaffy, G.S. Schorr, J.M. Aschettino and A.M. Gorgone. 2013. Movements and spatial use of odontocetes in the western main Hawaiian Islands: results of a three-year study off O’ahu and Kaua’i. Final report under Grant No. N00244-10-1-0048 from the Naval Postgraduate School. Download PDF copy
  • Baird, R.W., D.L. Webster, J.M. Aschettino, D. Verbeck and S.D. Mahaffy. 2012. Odontocete movements off the island of Kaua‘i: results of satellite tagging and photo-identification efforts in January 2012. Prepared for U.S. Pacific Fleet, submitted to NAVFAC PAC by HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc. Download PDF copy
  • Baird, R.W., D.L. Webster, G.S. Schorr, J.M. Aschettino, A.M. Gorgone, and S.D. Mahaffy. 2012. Movements and spatial use of odontocetes in the western main Hawaiian Islands: results from satellite-tagging and photo-identification off Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau in July/August 2011. Annual progress report under Grant No. N00244-10-1-0048 from the Naval Postgraduate School. Download PDF copy
  • Albertson, G.R., M. Oremus, R.W. Baird, K.K. Martien, M.M. Poole, R.L. Brownell Jr., F. Cipriano and C.S. Baker. 2011. Staying close to home: mitochondrial DNA analysis reveals insular population structure for the pelagic dolpin Steno bredanensis. Poster presented at the 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Tampa, Florida, November-December 2011. Download PDF copy
  • Baird, R.W., D.L. Webster, S.D. Mahaffy, D.J. McSweeney, G.S. Schorr and A.D. Ligon. 2008. Site fidelity and association patterns in a deep-water dolphin: rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Marine Mammal Science 24:535-553. Download PDF copy The definitive version is available at Wiley InterScience
  • Baird, R.W., D.J. McSweeney, D.L. Webster, A.M. Gorgone and A.D. Ligon. 2003. Studies of odontocete population structure in Hawaiian waters: results of a survey through the main Hawaiian Islands in May and June 2003. Report prepareed under Contract No. AB133F-02-CN-0106 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Western Administrative Support Center, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115 USA PDF available at ResearchGate

All photos are copyrighted and should not be used without permission.

Updated November 2021.

Return to the Hawaiian Dolphin and Whale Species Page

Got photos? We have photo-ID catalogs for several Hawaiian cetacean species! If you have photos that you would be willing to share, you can learn how to submit those to us at this link, or contact us at Hawaii@cascadiaresearch.org