Braeger SMarine Mammal Science2010-02-152010-02-151993http://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/23026pp-438Most animals show daily and seasonal patterns in their behavior. However, behavior patterns of free-ranging cetaceans have rarely been described. This note analyzes the diurnal and seasonal (summer and fall) occurrence of three common activities, composed of suites of individual behaviors--foraging, traveling, and socializing--in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). From 1 June to 30 November 1991, I recorded the behavior of bottlenose dolphin groups during 97 trips (27 to 61 trips per month; 310.8 h) in the bay system of Galveston, Texas, and adjacent waters of the Gulf of Mexico, from a 6.5-m research vessel. This was part of an ongoing photoidentification study of the Texas A&M University Marine Mammal Research Programactivity patternsASW,Mexico GulfASW,USA,Texas,Galveston BayBehaviorcircadian rhythmsfeeding behaviormigrationsO 1070 Ecology/Community StudiesQ1 01421 Migrations and rhythmsseasonal variationssocial behaviorTexasTursiops truncatuswaterY 25537 Mammals (excluding primates)Journal