1. Dolphins are mammals. As all mammals, dolphins nurse their young from mammary glands.
2. Dolphins can swim up to 260 m. below the surface of the ocean. However they are mainly shallow divers as they need to reach the surface to breathe.
3. Dolphins can stay up to 15 minutes under water. They only do this some times as they usually stay only a few minutes diving before reaching the surface for air.
4. Dolphins use a technique called echolocation. This technique uses the same principles of a radar, and it is used to find food and navigate.
5. Dolphins are social beings. Dolphins live in groups and cooperate among each other for activities like getting food and calf rising.
6. Dolphins are Cetaceans. There are 32 species of ocean dolphins and 5 species of river dolphins.
7. The largest dolphin is the Orca, also known as “killer whale”. Orcas grow up to 6.1 meters long and they are named as whales because their size, but they really belong to the toothed cetacean family just like dolphins do.
8. The most popular dolphin is the “bottlenose dolphin". Bottlenose dolphins are the ones we have seen in tv series, movies and aquatic shows. Bottlenose dolphins can grow up to 2.5-2.8 meters.
9. Dolphins are warm-blooded. As mammals, dolphins are warm blooded and their internal temperature is around 36 degrees. To conserve this temperature they are surrounded by a thick layer of fat called “blubber” just below the skin.
10. The bottlenose dolphin brain weighs 1500-1600 grams. While average human brain weighs 1200-1300 grs. This is not a conclusive evidence of dolphin intelligence as many other factors might be the cause of intelligence according to scientists.
11. Dolphins communicate efficiently. Dolphins can make a unique signature whistle that may help individual dolphins recognize each other, collaborate and perform several other kinds of communication.
12. Dolphins can swim 5 to 12 kilometers per hour. This will depend on the species and situation, although fastest dolphins can reach up to 32 km/h.
2. Dolphins can swim up to 260 m. below the surface of the ocean. However they are mainly shallow divers as they need to reach the surface to breathe.
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| Photo By milan.boers |
4. Dolphins use a technique called echolocation. This technique uses the same principles of a radar, and it is used to find food and navigate.
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| Photo By UnorthodoxY |
6. Dolphins are Cetaceans. There are 32 species of ocean dolphins and 5 species of river dolphins.
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| Photo By Simon_sees |
7. The largest dolphin is the Orca, also known as “killer whale”. Orcas grow up to 6.1 meters long and they are named as whales because their size, but they really belong to the toothed cetacean family just like dolphins do.
8. The most popular dolphin is the “bottlenose dolphin". Bottlenose dolphins are the ones we have seen in tv series, movies and aquatic shows. Bottlenose dolphins can grow up to 2.5-2.8 meters.
10. The bottlenose dolphin brain weighs 1500-1600 grams. While average human brain weighs 1200-1300 grs. This is not a conclusive evidence of dolphin intelligence as many other factors might be the cause of intelligence according to scientists.
11. Dolphins communicate efficiently. Dolphins can make a unique signature whistle that may help individual dolphins recognize each other, collaborate and perform several other kinds of communication.
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| Photo By Mrs. Gemstone |
