The common dolphin is a fast, social cetacean often seen off the Galician coast in productive waters. Sightings are one visible sign that this coast supports a wider marine food web.
Dolphins are common in Galician waters because this coast is productive, varied, and connected to feeding habitats created by Atlantic exposure, shelf processes, and coastal productivity. Upwelling helps supply the food web that supports fish and then marine mammals. Research groups working in Galicia report numerous cetacean species here. Sightings depend on local conditions and movement patterns; they are a visible sign of a wider food web, not a scheduled appearance.