#atlantic spotted dolphin
The Atlantic spotted dolphin - Stenella frontalis
This is without a doubt my favourite illustration for this project so far. I love Atlantic spotted dolphins, with their sociable personality, elegant faces and beautiful colouration - and these in particular. You see, while the Common bottlenose dolphin’s coastal and oceanic populations are best known, there’s more dolphins with a similar division amongst their ranks. Spotted dolphins (both the Atlantic and Pantropical) have offshore and coastal populations as well, which vary in colour.
In case of the Atlantic, coastal animals - like those found in The Bahamas - are most heavily spotted. Adults can gain so many spots over the years that in the end, their colour pattern is reversed. White above, black below. Illustrated however, is an oceanic-type Atlantic spotted dolphin; and they hold on to their stark white bellies. The amount of spots varies between individuals, some are quite heavily spotted, others snowy white below the sides - but never is the belly covered. The white spots are also finer than those in coastal animals, and while I painted my animal with quite a lot, some have no more than a fine dusting of white.
Exquisitely beautiful animals if you ask me, and I am immensely happy that the spotting finally turned out to my liking (painting spots is harder than it seems).
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Just two little sketches from my - then new - sketchbook. Sadly haven’t drawn much in it since! It’s a nice little booklet. They’re three years old by now (oof), but I do quite like the killer whale one. The other one is two Atlantic-spotted dolphins ‘holding pectoral fins’, which is an adorable thing some species sometimes do.
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