Abstract
The present work brings information about the first sightings of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, in the oceanic island of Trindade, 1140 km off the Brazilian coast. Nine days of opportunistic boat surveys were performed between December 2009 and March 2010, totalling 54 hours of sampling effort. Three sightings were obtained of the bottlenose dolphin, varying from 1 single animal to a group with 10 dolphins, including calves. One group was observed and filmed underwater. Sighting depth varied from 5 to 35 m and distance from the coast was registered between 70 to 300 m. Comparing our results with other studies in the Brazilian oceanic islands shows similarities in the location of the sightings as well the reported group size and the presence of calves suggesting that bottlenose dolphins may be using these environments to socialize and take care of the young dolphins. Because the oceanic islands constitute fragile and isolated ecosystems it is crucial to have a better understanding of the conservation of their marine life, including top predator animals such as the bottlenose dolphins.
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