Amazing and Shocking Dolphins Facts

Dolphins facts: There are a lot of things that you need to know about dolphins, and if you are looking for amazing dolphins facts, then you are in the right place. What you are about to read contains some of the most interesting and amazing facts. Learn more about these sea creatures and the other cool facts like how they live, how they swim, how they communicate, the number of species, and even more facts about the largest and most popular species of dolphin.

How they travel, cooperate, and communicate.

Dolphins are very friendly creatures. In fact, they have been interacting with us since the day that human became aware of their existence. They are very social animals, and would normally travel by groups of 10 up to 12 dolphins at the same time. Like humans, dolphins are also working with each other. They need to cooperate in order to collect their favorite food; fishes and squids, and raise their calf. They are using a technique called echolocation, which uses the same principles that we use for our radar. Echolocation is being used by dolphins to find a source of food or to navigate. They can also communicate with each other through sounds and whistles.

Facts about how dolphins breathe, dive, and swim.

One of the most common misconceptions about dolphins is that they are fishes, but the truth is, dolphins are mammals. They are nursing young dolphins called calf from their mammary glands. Since they are not fishes, dolphins cannot stay submerged underwater for long. They can last 15 minutes without breathing. However, dolphins seldom do this because they usually dive for a few minutes and resurface for air.

Dolphins can swim up to 260 meters deep, but again they don’t usually do this because they need to resurface for air after 15 minutes. This is the reason why most dolphins are shallow divers.

Did you know that dolphins can swim at an average speed of 5 to 12 kilometers per hour? The speed depends on the situation and the specie of dolphin. However, the fastest dolphin specie can swim up to 32 kilometers per hour.

Dolphins Facts: How they keep their warmth while submerged underwater.

Another cool Dolphins Facts that you need to know is that they are warm-blooded. The temperature inside their body is 36 degrees and they need to preserve this with the help of a thick layer of fat called “blubber” located underneath their skin. This layer is very important in preserving their body heat, especially since water is a lot colder. The blubber will keep them warm even while submerged 260 meters from the surface.

Dolphins Facts: Species of Dolphins

Did you know that there are 37 species of dolphins? 32 of them live in oceans, while 5 of them live in rivers like Amazon River, Ganges River, and Yangtze River. All of them are cetaceans, which is the family of mammals that are most suitable for aquatic life. Cetacean is from the Ancient Greek word “k?tos”, meaning huge fish or sea monster.

Facts about Killers Whale or Orcas

The largest dolphin is called the Killer Whale. Although it is called whale, it belongs to the toothed cetaceans, the family where dolphins belong. Killer whales are also called Orcas and they can grow up to 6.1 meters long. Although they are called Killer Whales, they don’t kill people; they hunt fishes, sea lions, seals, walruses, and even large whales.

Facts about Bottlenose Dolphins

The bottlenose dolphin is the most popular specie of dolphin, since they are commonly seen in TV shows, marine shows, and movies. They can grow from 2.5-3.8 meters. They normally travel in groups called pods, consisting of at least 10-30 bottlenose dolphins. Their brain weighs 1600 grams while an average human brain only weighs 1300 grams. Although the weight of the brain cannot be used to conclude their intelligence, they are undeniably one of the smartest sea creatures.

More Dolphin Information

• 10 Dolphins Facts - Learn more about these smart and friendly sea creatures. Here, you’ll find the 10 most amazing characteristics of dolphins.
• Bottlenose dolphin facts - Although there are 36 species of dolphins that live in the ocean, and another 5 river species, the most popular dolphin is the bottlenose. This popularity is likely due to its intelligence, friendliness, and behavior that often mimics human behavior.
• Dolphin Pictures - Find hundreds of dolphin pictures here. Witness their dazzling acrobatic stunts and some rare dolphin acts.
• Bottlenose Dolphin Fact Sheet - Find more information about the well-known bottlenose dolphins.
• World’s Most Endangered Species of Dolphins - This site will show you the species of dolphins that were categorized as critically endangered and endangered.


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Written by Amnon Levav. Songs by Orit Levav. All rights reserved (c), 2004-2011.