How Much Do Dolphins Weigh?
"Dolphin" refers to a broad group of over 40 species, and body weight varies dramatically across them. There is no single answer — size depends heavily on the species, as well as the *** and age of the individual animal.
Weight by Species
- Hector's dolphin — One of the world's smallest dolphins, native to New Zealand. Adults typically weigh around 40–60 kg (88–132 lb).
- Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) — The most familiar and widely studied species. Adults generally range from 150 to 650 kg (330–1,430 lb), with males tending to be significantly heavier than females. Research on captive individuals confirms a wide range depending on age, ***, and condition.
- Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) — The largest river dolphin species. Adult males commonly reach 185 kg (408 lb) and lengths of 2.5 metres (8 ft).
- Fraser's dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) — Adults grow to approximately 200 kg (440 lb) at full size.
- Orca, or killer whale (Orcinus orca) — Technically the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family, orcas can weigh up to 5,400–6,000 kg (12,000–13,200 lb), making them a dramatic outlier compared to most dolphin species.
Summary
For the most commonly recognised dolphin — the bottlenose dolphin — a typical wild adult weighs roughly 150 to 300 kg (330–660 lb), though larger individuals are documented. Across all dolphin species combined, the weight range spans from as little as ~40 kg to over 5,000 kg when orcas are included.
