In this guide, we’ll answer the question:
“How much does a dolphin weigh?”
First, you’ll find a short summary explaining the average weight of dolphins followed by a list of common dolphin weights by species. There’s also information about how heavy the heaviest dolphin ever recorded weighs, the smallest dolphins in the world, and which weighs more: dolphins or sharks.
Dolphins are carnivorous marine mammals within the infraorder Cetacea which also consists of whales. The term dolphin usually refers to the extant families Delphinidae, Platanistidae, Iniidae, Pontoporiidae, and the extinct Lipotidae, with the bottlenose dolphin being the most familiar species.
How Much Does a Dolphin Weigh?
Dolphins weigh between 500 to 6,600 pounds (230 to 3,000 kilograms) on average and can measure from 12 to 18 feet (3.7 to 5.5 meters) in length. The weight of a dolphin depends on its age, size, and species.
Dolphin Weights By Species
- Atlantic Spotted Dolphin: 220 to 315 pounds
- Bottlenose Dolphin: 330 to 1,400 pounds
- Baiji Dolphin: 290 to 370 pounds
- Chilean Dolphin: 100 to 120 pounds
- Commerson’s Dolphin: 77 to 132 pounds
- Dusky Dolphin: 180 to 280 pounds
- Hector’s Dolphin: 90 to 110 pounds
- Hourglass Dolphin: 150 to 240 pounds
- Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin: 500 to 630 pounds
- Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Dolphin: 330 to 620 pounds
- Indus River Dolphin: 150 to 200 pounds
- Irrawaddy Dolphin: 200 to 420 pounds
- Long-Finned Pilot Whale Dolphin: 2,900 to 5,000 pounds
- Orca (Killer Whale): 6,000 to 12,000 pounds
- Pacific White-Sided Dolphin: 300 to 400 pounds
- Pantropical Spotted Dolphin: 220 to 260 pounds
- Pygmy Killer Whale Dolphin: 250 to 400 pounds
- Risso’s Dolphin: 660 to 850 pounds
- Rough-Toothed Dolphin: 200 to 350 pounds
- Short-Beaked Common Dolphin: 220 to 300 pounds
- Spinner Dolphin: 51 to 170 pounds
- Striped Dolphin: 330 to 50 pounds
- White-Beaked Dolphin: 400 to 780 pounds
How Heavy Is the Heaviest Dolphin?
The heaviest dolphin weighs between 6,000 to 8,000 pounds (2,721 to 5,443 kilograms) on average and is known as the Orca (or Killer Whale). The heaviest Orca ever recorded was a male dolphin that weighed 22,000 pounds (10,000 kilograms).
Dolphin fact source: Sea World
How Much Does the Smallest Dolphin Weigh?
The smallest dolphin weighs between 90 to 110 pounds (40 to 49 kilograms) on average and is known as Hector’s dolphin.
Dolphin fact source: NOAA Fisheries
Do Dolphins Weigh More Than Sharks?
Some dolphins do weigh more than sharks. The average weight for a dolphin is between 500 to 6,600 pounds (230 to 3,000 kilograms) while a shark weighs between 1,500 to 4,000 pounds (680 to 1,800 kilograms).
Shark fact source: Britannica
Learn More About Dolphins
Now that you know more about dolphins and their weight, you may also be interested in these other educational guides on these marine mammals:
Dolphin Weight Summary
You now know how much does a dolphin weigh.
As you discovered in this guide, dolphins weigh between 500 to 6,600 pounds (230 to 3,000 kilograms) on average, with the weight of a dolphin depending on its age, size, and species.
I’m the lead editor and writer for Animal Answer Guide. I enjoy sharing expert knowledge on the various characteristics of common species within the five distinct groups of animals: amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles.
