They tend to go back to the same area each day. When they are done resting, they quickly swim out to the deep area to feed on the vertically migrating fauna. When they are in the deep, darker waters, they are more susceptible to predation. There is a dominance hierarchy within the schools of spinner dolphins. It is sustained by a descending order of threats and by behaviors that involve caresses.
Threats are usually a simple nudge or abrupt gesture.
Spinner dolphins communicate with each other by echolocation, caressing each other, and using aerial patterns. They are most active when they have just finished resting. Stenella longirostris performs many kinds of jumps. Habitat Stenella longirostris is mostly pelagic. It does spend time in both shallow waters and deeper water farther from land.