Can you tell the age of a dolphin by the size of its dorsal fin?

It is not possible to accurately determine the age of a dolphin based solely on the size of its dorsal fin. While dorsal fins can provide valuable information about a dolphin's health and well-being, they do not necessarily correspond with age.

Dorsal fins are made of cartilage and can change shape and size over time due to a variety of factors, such as genetics, diet, injury, and disease. Additionally, different species of dolphins have different dorsal fin shapes and sizes, so comparing the dorsal fin of one species to another can be misleading.

However, researchers and marine biologists can use other methods to estimate the age of dolphins, such as counting growth layer groups in their teeth or bones, measuring their body length, or analyzing the isotopes in their teeth.