Mo Ganji: Short-beaked Common Dolphin | Kurzschnäuziger Delfin | Delphinus delphis | No. 195/250 from work group 8/99

Short-beaked Common Dolphin | Kurzschnäuziger Delfin | Delphinus delphis

Mo Ganji directs his attention to the short-beaked common dolphin — a highly social, fast-moving marine mammal inhabiting temperate and tropical oceans — by allowing the single line to move toward essence rather than motion or abundance. The line gathers the being into a reduced coherence, setting aside speed, group dynamics and familiarity so that presence can surface without narrative. In Ganji’s understanding, the line is not owned by the dolphin alone; it remains open, reminding us that every figure is also a human concept momentarily fixed to a living continuum.

Delphinus delphis is listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, owing to its wide distribution and large global population. The species occurs in oceans worldwide, often forming large schools and displaying complex social behavior. However, population trends vary regionally, and some local groups have experienced significant declines.

The principal threats include bycatch in industrial fisheries, prey depletion, noise pollution, and chemical contamination. In certain regions, directed hunting and habitat degradation further affect local populations. Because the species often associates with fishing activity, interactions with human industry remain frequent and sometimes lethal.

Ganji’s single line opens a space in which the dolphin can be encountered beyond spectacle or familiarity. It allows attention to rest on a life often assumed secure through numbers, suggesting how visibility and abundance can mask vulnerability — and how continuity depends not only on survival today, but on the conditions allowed to persist tomorrow.