Most aerial spins by a dolphin

Dolphins are famous for their acrobatic leaps out of the water, but certain species are particularly acrobatic, as they not only leap high out of the water but also perform a number of aerial spins in their longitudinal body axis during their leaps. The species that performs the greatest number of aerial spins is the aptly named spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris, which can spin round as many as seven times in a single leap. It inhabits off-shore tropical waters worldwide. This species exists in four recognised subspecies, but there is also a dwarf variety native to the Gulf of Thailand, so it is overall a very diverse species. Researchers believe that its extreme spinning behaviour may be a means of ridding itself of external parasites, and/or a way for individual dolphins to communicate with other members of their pod.