How does the coloration of the Pacific white-sided dolphin help it to survive in the wild?
Pacific white-sided dolphins have a dark gray or black back, white belly and a distinctive white or gray stripe on both sides. This contrast is called countershading. The black or dark back of the dolphin allows it to blend in with the ocean and protects it from predators from above, and the white undersides camouflages it when viewed from below against light from the sky.