Dolphins are capable of complex problem-solving and social interaction. They are one of the smartest animals in the world. Research into the behavior of dolphins in the wild and captivity has yielded incredible data on the intelligence of these marine mammals.
Studies show that dolphins not only have the ability to learn as individuals, but those individuals can then pass their new knowledge on to others. Let’s look at some amazing facts about dolphins that you probably didn’t know…
1. Dolphins use echolocation, like bats. They make sounds that bounce off distant objects and create an echo. Listening to that echo reveals to them precisely where everything is.
The way dolphins sail through the air and glide through the water is a magical view. Interestingly, dolphins and other animals such as porpoises, bats, and whales share a unique way of “seeing” the world through echolocation, also called sonar. In other words, dolphins can emit and receive the echoes of sound waves that bounce off any objects near them in the water.
2. They are marine mammals. They must surface to breathe air and give birth to live young ones.
When a dolphin surfaces for air, he breathes out (exhales) first and then breathes in (inhales) fresh air; it only takes a fraction of a second for the dolphin to do this. If you are close by, it is easy to hear a dolphin’s ‘blow’ at the surface; you will often hear a dolphin before you see him!
The blow is the sound you hear, and the spray of water you see, when the dolphin forcefully breathes out and clears away any water resting on top of his blowhole. The water spray is not coming from the dolphin’s lungs; it is just water sitting on top of its head around the blowhole being blown away before he inhales.
3. In India, it’s against the law to capture dolphins for entertainment purposes as they’re highly intelligent and considered ‘non-human persons’ whose rights to life and liberty must be respected.
4. Dolphins have been known to protect humans when they’re in trouble.
5. Half of a dolphin’s brain goes to sleep while the other half stays awake.
To get around this, dolphins only allow one-half of their brains to sleep at a time; the other half stays alert to enable the dolphin to continue breathing and look out for dangers in the environment.
6. Dolphins are very social animals, generally living in pods of two to 40 dolphins.
7. They also have two stomachs: One for storage and one for digestion.
8. Dolphins are part of the whale family, including orcas and pilot whales.
9. Dolphins also have a distinct “personality”.
10. They can also hold their breath for a total of between 8 to 10 minutes.
11. Dolphins are extremely intelligent animals. Bottlenose dolphins are one of the few species- besides humans and apes – that can recognize their own reflection in the mirror.
Well, it’s believed that dolphins are actually the second smartest animal on the planet, next to humans. And yes, even smarter than primates. With a high brain-to-body weight ratio, dolphins are capable of complex problem solving and understanding abstract situations.
12. A dolphin pregnancy lasts between nine and 16 months.
Dolphin pregnancies last between 9 months (harbor porpoise) and 16 months (orcas) depending on the species. Bottlenose dolphin pregnancies are somewhere in the middle lasting about 12 months, a little longer than human pregnancies which last 9 months.
13. Each dolphin’s dorsal fin is unique.
14. The social mammals also communicate by squeaking, whistling, and clicking.
15. A dolphin mother will nurse her calf until it is 2-3 years old.
16. Some species of dolphins can consume up to 30 pounds of fish per day.
Bottlenose dolphins: These amazing mammals can consume up to 30 pounds of fish in just one day! No wonder it has the energy to jump up to 20 feet out of the water.
17. Their main diet consists only of fish and squid, which they track using echolocation.
Additionally, the specific type of food they eat depends on their species and habitat. Smaller dolphins eat fish like sawfish, herring, cod, and mackerel, as well as squids or other cephalopods. More so, larger dolphins prey on seals, sea lions, other dolphin species, and even whales and sea turtles! Whatever their food preference, their feeding habits are flexible depending on the habitat and available resources.
18. Bottlenose dolphins can make up to 1,000 clicking noises per second.
19. Dolphins must tell themselves when to breathe. It’s not an automatic response like it is for humans.
Dolphins and whales, together known as cetaceans, are mammals, which means they hold air in their lungs, just like humans. They cannot breathe underwater like fish. They breathe through nostrils, called a blowhole, located on top of their heads — not their mouths.
However, when a dolphin or whale surfaces to breathe they exhale first, then inhale. After they inhale, the powerful muscles around their blowhole seal it back up. If you are close to a marine mammal, you can often hear them before you see them!
20. The largest dolphin, the orca can grow to be over 30 feet long.
21. There are 36 dolphin species found in every ocean.
22. Just like humans, dolphin calves learn different behavioral traits from their mothers through imitation.
They learn special foraging techniques from their mothers—and it’s now clear that they can learn from their buddies as well. Take the clever trick that some dolphins use to catch fish by trapping them in seashells. It turns out that they learn this skill by watching their pals do the job.
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