This study focused on the bottlenose dolphins observed in the semi-tropical
waters around Bimini. Two ecotypes of bottlenose dolphins, coastal (inshore) and
oceanic (offshore), have been documented in Bimini waters (Herzing et al. 2003, DCP
unpublished data 2013). Coastal dolphins are commonly found in warm shallow waters
over the continental shelf, while the offshore dolphins are thought to frequent the deeper
waters of the Gulf Stream (Fig. 2.3). Offshore dolphins are occasionally seen in the
shallows closer to shore (Rossbach and Herzing 1999, Herzing et al. 2003, Rogers et
al. 2004, DCP unpublished data 2013).