Up close Risso’s dolphins are hard to be mistaken for anything else. Risso’s dolphins are born dark grey but over time they obtain scarring due to interactions with other Risso’s dolphins. These scars stay white so overtime the scars can accumulate to the point where the animal can appear completely white.
Risso’s dolphins have a tall, sickle-shaped fin which is dark and rarely scarred. The dorsal fin can easily be mistaken for that of a killer whale if seen from a distance due to its height and colour. They have a bulbous forehead and an indistinctive beak.