There is no doubt that dolphins are one of the most exciting animals in the ocean. They are easy to recognize and you likely know that they are very smart.

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Amazing Wild Dolphins doing Spinner Jumpings - Funny VideosSubscribe: you like it!:D. Dolphin, any of the toothed whales belonging to the mammal family Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins) as well as the families Platanistidae and Iniidae, the two that contain the river dolphins. Of the nearly 40 species of dolphins in the Delphinidae, 6 are commonly called whales, including the killer whale and the pilot whales. Winter, our most famous Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, is the star of Dolphin Tale.After losing her tail from becoming entangled in a crab trap line, the team at Clearwater Marine Aquarium worked with the Hanger Clinic to develop a prosthetic tail, allowing Winter to make a full recovery! Dolphin is a common name of aquatic mammals within the infraorder Cetacea.The term dolphin usually refers to the extant families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), and Pontoporiidae (the brackish dolphins), and the extinct Lipotidae (baiji or Chinese river dolphin).

There is a lot of information that anyone interested in these animals should appreciate. There are plenty of great facts about them that you will learn when you get done reading this! Some are basic, others entertaining and many are simply amazing.
1. Dolphins are odontocete cetaceans. The order Cetacea includes a group of mammals fully adapted to life in the ocean, and the suborder Odontoceti includes those with teeth.

2. The closest relatives of dolphins are whales and porpoises. All are members of the order Cetacea.

3. Dolphins are mammals; warm-blooded animals which give birth to live offspring and feed them with breast milk from the mother.

4. They do not have hair on the skin. Only a small accumulation of thin hair near the spiracle and in some other places. Only the Boto, Amazon River Dolphin, has a small amount of hair that they keep as an adult.

5. Dolphins are the only mammals that give birth to its offspring delivering the tail first instead of the head.

6. Like whales, manatees, seals, walruses and porpoises, they are mammals that live permanently in an aquatic environment.

7. Apparently, dolphins sleep resting one side of the brain at a time.
Thanks to its bone structure and its ability to hold air in the lungs for a long time, dolphins can rest underwater. However, they need to breathe regularly. Therefore, some degree of awareness is necessary, and one side of the brain remain active, while the other part rests.

8. Dolphins can communicate with each other by emitting a variety of sounds.

9. Dolphins do not have a good sense of smell.

10. Dolphins can swim at a speed of up to 25 miles per hour for a long time; This is about three times faster than the fastest humans in the world.

11. Dolphins inhabit all seas of the world.

12. Most species live in salt water, but some dwell in fresh or brackish waters.

13. All dolphins are carnivores.

14. There are about 100 teeth in the mouth of a dolphin, but the amount varies among species. However, they use the teeth to grab their prey, but they don’t chew it. All food is swallowed whole.

15. Dolphins can hear a frequency range ten times broader than that of a human being.

16. Dolphins are mostly larger than porpoises. However, some species of dolphins are the smallest cetaceans.

17. Mothers breastfeed calves for 2 or 3 years.

18. The lower limbs of dolphins are vestigial legs because millions of years ago they could walk on land.

19. There are about 43 species of dolphins. But the number keeps changing because of new discoveries and new taxonomic classifications.

20. There have been cases of attacks on humans, but they are very rare. Even though dolphins are usually very mild tempered, they can be aggressive.

21. At birth, calves weigh approximately 10 kilos and measure around one meter. This weight increases up to 7 times during the first year of life.

22. Many individuals have been seen making jumps in front of the ships and following the bow waves.

23. The teeth of dolphins work as a kind of antenna to pick up the sounds bounced back during echolocation.

24. Dolphins enjoy socializing and playing. They have been seen playing with small objects and with other dolphins. They play with seaweed or with other members of the pod. Sometimes, they will tease other living creatures in the water.

25. They are social animals and can live in groups called pods that can have hundreds of members or even join with other groups creating superpods with thousands of individuals.

26. The favorite foods of many species of dolphins are fish, octopus, and squid.

27. The gestation period in most species lasts between 10 and 12 months.

28. The Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest dolphin. It can measure up to 30 feet in length.

29. Dolphins detect prey and objects using their echolocation, that is, by interpreting the echo of sound waves bounced back by the target.

30. They have very delicate skin, which can easily be injured.

31. Dolphins have an organ called melon in the head that emits the sound waves used for echolocation.

32. The dolphin’s brain is similar in size to that of humans.
Their brains are 4-5 times larger than those of other animals of similar size.

33. Dolphins can recognize themselves in the mirrors which mean that they are self-aware, an indicator of intelligence.

34. Dolphins’ eyes can move separately from each other.

35. Bycatch is one of the main threats to the survival of dolphins.

36. Their main natural predators are sharks and ironically, orcas.

37. The Amazon River Dolphin or Boto is the largest dolphin that dwells in freshwater. They can be up to 10 feet long.

38. The Amazon river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) can swim backward. So far, researchers unknown the exact reason for this behavior, but it is presumed to be related to searching food.

39. Dolphins have two stomachs just like cows. The first one stores the food and the second is where digestion takes place.

40. Some dolphin species can submerge up to 1,000 feet.

41. The dorsal fin on each dolphin is unique, and it can be used to identify them from each other.

42. The average lifespan of dolphins is around 17 years. However, some species in the wild live about 50 years.

43. Some dolphins need to breathe every 20 seconds, but others need to do it every 30 minutes.

44. The bonds between the members of a pod are very tight. They have been observed helping sick, elderly, and injured peers.

45. Dolphins can see well in the water due to the way their retina collects the light.

46. The brain of dolphins is the second largest ratio between size compared to its body size; only behind humans.

47. It is possible for a mature dolphin to eat up to 30 pounds of fish per day.

48. Some dolphins can leap up to twenty feet in the air.

49. Dolphins often use a hunting technique consisting in surrounding a school of fish, so they make a tight group. Then they will take turns going through the center of the accumulation to feed.

50. Global warming continues to be a problem for dolphins as it has reduced their food supply significantly.

51. Dolphins can migrate looking for food and reach parts of the ocean where the temperatures are right for them. Not all species of dolphins migrate.

52. Dolphins perform several feeding strategies to capture prey. Most involve cooperation among the pod members.

53. The smallest dolphins are about 4 feet long with the longest being 30 feet long. They can weigh from 90 pounds to more than 11 tons.

54. The flukes are the two parts of the tail of a dolphin.

55. All dolphins have a blowhole at the top where they breathe.

56. Dolphins have a great healing process even when they have deep wounds such as those that are the result of shark bites. Experts haven’t been able to determine how this is possible for dolphins when other mammals would die from a hemorrhage.

Dolphin Information

Interesting Information About Dolphins. Habitat, distribution, feeding, reproduction, anatomy and more.
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Types of Dolphins

There are 43 species of dolphins found in the world.There are 38 marine dolphins, and 5 river dolphins.
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Dolphin Conservation

Dolphins may be well loved by many humans, but they are also at risk due to the efforts of humans.
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Dolphin Information, Anatomy, Feeding, Communication, Reproduction, Predators,Echolocation,
Language and Conservation. Bottlenose Dolphins, Spinner Dolphins, Amazon Pink Dolphins.

Introduction to dolphins

Dolphins are aquatic mammals that belong to the infraorder “Cetacea” a group of animals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They also belong to the parvorder “Odontoceti,” which are the toothed cetaceans, but taxonomically speaking, dolphins are an informal group, composed by most toothed cetaceans but excluding whales and porpoises.

There are 43 different species of dolphins identified. 38 of them are oceanic dolphins which are those that most people know and five species of river dolphins. The families included as “dolphins” are the oceanic and river dolphins:

– Delphinidae (Oceanic dolphins)
– Platanistidae (Indus and Ganges river dolphins)
– Iniidae (Amazon river dolphins)
– Pontoporiidae (La Plata river dolphins)
– Lipotidae (Baiji or Chinese river dolphins)

Regardless the place they live, Dolphins have to reach the surface of the ocean to breathe at different time intervals. This cycle can last up to 30 minutes in some large species. The skin color of dolphins is grayish-blue, but it can also be black, white, light gray, blueish and even pink or the combination of those colors varying according to the species. However, in every case, their skin is very sensitive to impacts and other elements that could be in the water.

Even though some dolphin species have up to 100 teeth, they don’t use them for chewing. They use their teeth only to hold the fish and then swallow them. Large dolphins like the Orca can consume up to 500 pounds of fish per day. The pods usually work as a team to surround a school of fish and get them as packed as possible. Afterward, they plow through the middle of the fish concentration and eat as much as they need.

They even take turns doing this so the fish do not disperse and they all have the opportunity to get the food they require. This hunting technique is just one of the many different types of feeding strategies that they may use to reduce the effort of catching fish.

“Dolphins have been interacting with humans for as long as we have known of their existence”.

If we talk about charismatic animals, dolphins are probably on the podium. Enormously popular, significantly intelligent and scientifically sophisticated, they are amidst the most beloved animals among people. Dolphins have captured the human imagination in a variety of ways. They are curious, form strong bonds within their pod, and they have been known to help their peers and people in a variety of circumstances.

Dolphins Species.

There are more than 40 species of dolphins, but the number keeps changing as science learns more about these marine mammals. Most dolphins are part of the Delphinidae family, which includes those living in the ocean, but some other species live in rivers and have a different taxonomic classification. Definitively, the best known of all the species is the bottlenose dolphin.

Among those dwelling in freshwater rivers, probably the best-known is the Amazon River Dolphin or Boto, also popular because of its pink skin.

It is astounding the size variety of dolphin species. While the largest, the Orca, can weigh about 11 tons and reach up to 30 feet long, the smallest species are only 90 pounds and 4 feet long. Between those two limits, there is an assortment of weights and lengths. The living habitat of each species plays a significant role in its overall size as the feeding habits sometimes make size differences even within the same species.

1. Dolphins are aquatic mammals fully adapted to live in the water that belongs to the infraorder Cetacea and the parvorder Odontoceti.

2. Scientists think that cetaceans evolved from land animals, and hippopotamuses are their closest living relative.

Dolphins live in the ocean, but there are also a few species dwelling in rivers.

Fun activities for kids like coloring pages, paint by number and even interesting e-jigsaws.

Dolphins facts for kids.

Dolphin Intelligence.

When talking about these cetaceans, how to forget its excellent cognitive ability? Dolphins differ from most animals because of their capacity to establish social ties in a way comparable to that of humans. For example, if one of them is injured or sick, the others help him to reach the surface so he can breathe. Their social structures are among the most remarkable aspects of these creatures.

Dolphin Facts

Dolphin Evolution.

Even though we have significant information about dolphins today, there are still many questions about their origin. Some theories come from the fossils discovered like the hypothesis that millions of years ago dolphins were much smaller than they are today. Many experts also believe that echolocation is a specialization result of the evolution process. Only time, new fossils and future technology will help us to get definite answers about the evolution of dolphins.

Dolphins and Ancient Civilizations.

Archaeological evidence indicates that dolphins had contact with ancient civilizations who had access to the sea. And if their behavior has not changed much over the centuries, they likely interacted with them.

The word “dolphin” seems to come from the Greek δελφίς (delphis), a term related to the word δελφύς (delphus), of the same language that means “womb.” According to Greek mythology, the god Apollo arrived at Delphi as a dolphin.

The evolution process of dolphins provided them with this sense that allows them to survive and succeed in the aquatic environment. Dolphins have an organ that emits sound waves, and they can interpret the returning echo to detect prey and dangers.

Research proved that echolocation is an essential element of dolphin life. It allows them to get information and details about their surrounding by identifying bounced sound waves.

It is a complex function that starts in the melon, an organ located in the head of the dolphin, which emits sound waves and detects their return when bounced back by objects or animals, giving the brain the elements to interpret them and get vital information about prey or dangers. It works very similarly to the radar. Would you be more efficient with a radar in your head?

Dolphin Anatomy

The characteristics of these cetaceans are very diverse. If they can be generalized in any way, the body of the dolphins is fusiform, hydrodynamic and with fluid movements. Most of them have an elongated snout, dozens of small functional teeth, not to chew but to hold the prey and a single blowhole in the dorsum to get oxygen from the air.

On its back, they have a dorsal fin, and at the end, there is a caudal fin that moves from bottom to top which allows them to swim gracefully in the water.

Their skin is usually smooth, often gray or bluish and free of fur, but some show unimagined color patterns. Thanks to the shape of their body and the features described above, they can perform exceptional acrobatic maneuvers in the air that include majestic turns and jumps.

The body of a dolphin is designed to help them move through the water quickly and without exerting enormous amounts of energy. They rely on their pectoral flippers and the fluke (tail) to navigate through the ocean.

Dolphins have excellent vision, and they can see whatever is close to them either in the water or above the surface. They also have good hearing, with a capacity of hearing up to 10 times better than humans. Their sense of touch is very acute, and they use it for bonding with other members of their pods. As we can see, they rely on a combination of their senses to avoid danger, find food, and socialize. The smell isn’t well developed for them, though.

Dolphin Conservation

Not everything is as positive as we would like. In today’s world, many species are experiencing a rapid population decline in the wild, mainly as a result of anthropogenic activities; which means those related to humans.

Dolphins are not the exception, as many other animals, the future of various species of dolphins is at risk due to habitat degradation, problems finding food, pollutants in the water, injuries or death due to getting entangled in fishing nets and even fatal wounds made by boat propels. There are conservation efforts to protect these species so they can have a future, but they do not seem enough for some species such as the Baiji which is considered already extinct. The average lifespan for a dolphin in the wild is 17 years. However, some have been documented to live up to 50 years!

Understanding and respecting them as living beings is a mission that does not have to be complicated. The beginning can be as simple as getting information about the vast and fascinating world of dolphins.

Dolphins and Humans

Dolphins have been interacting with humans for as long as we have known about their existence. However, during this time, their most dangerous predator and the only one that has dramatically reduced their population is the human. Even though we all agree that Dolphins are fantastic creatures that seem to be intelligent and friendly, we still are a huge threat to them.

Dolphin Pool Cleaner

A deeper knowledge and further information about dolphins is the first step towards a better conservation and understanding of these amazing cetaceans.

Trying to provide readable-friendly information about Dolphins, we include articles like “dolphin way of life,” which contains the information about daily dolphin activities, for example, “what do dolphins eat?” or “social relationships,” among others.

Regarding the basic information about dolphins, you will find detailed data about dolphin reproduction, the way they hunt and how they communicate. At the anatomic level, a particular analysis of the echolocation, their basic anatomy and physiology.

The section related to humans is devoted to the relationship between dolphins and humans, including articles which describe encounters with them like the incredible rescues of humans by dolphins. Also, we include a section about how dolphins impacted our culture reflecting this in movies, books and many other ways of expression that have existed for centuries including even the most prominent ancient cultures and civilizations like the Greek and Roman which included dolphins in their mythology.

Finally, the section for kids created thinking in little kids, tries to provide them essential information about dolphins through educative activities like puzzles, coloring pages or how to draw a dolphin with the idea to make kids aware of dolphin conservation in a funny way.

Family Delphinidae, Oceanic Dolphins

Genus Delphinus

Genus Tursiops

Burrunan Dolphin, Tursiops australis (discovered in 2011)

Genus Lissodelphis

Dolphins Schedule

Genus Sotalia

Genus Sousa

Genus Stenella

Genus Steno

Genus Cephalorhynchus

Dolphin Fish

Genus Grampus

Dolphin