What do bottlenose dolphins eat?

Bottlenose dolphins eat a variety of fish, squid and crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp. The type of food available to the dolphin is dependent upon its location, so some dolphins will eat more crustaceans, while others will eat more squid.

Evidence shows that some dolphins have eaten deep sea fish, indicating that dolphins will dive to a significant depth to find fish. A dolphin typically eats no more than 6 percent of its body weight per day.

Dolphins hunt prey by cooperating with other dolphins to chase schools of fish into one area. Dolphins may also follow fishing boats, eating the chum thrown overboard or catching released fish.