D for Dolphins

 

Today for the A to Z Challenge, I'm going to post some facts about my favorite animal/mammal, Dolphins.

 

 

 

               1. Dolphins are cetacea marine animals.

 

               2. A group of dolphins is called a pod.

 

               3. A female dolphin is called a cow.

 

               4. A male dolphin is called a bull.

 

               5. A baby dolphin is called a calf.

 

               6. There are 36 species of them - 32 types of ocean dolphins & 4 types of river dolphins

 

               7. They live close to the coastline in all oceans on the planet.

 

               8. Dolphins have 100 teeth, but all food is swallowed whole.

 

               9. They are known to be extraordinarily intelligent.

 

               10. They have two stomachs - one for storing food and the other for digesting it.

 

               11. They are carnivores or meat eaters.

 

               12. The killer whale (an orca) is a type of dolphin.

 

               13. Bottlenose dolphins are the most common and well known type.

 

               14. They use a blowhole on top of their head to breathe.

 

               15. They communicate with each other by clicking, whistling and other sounds.

 

               16. Dolphins have excellent eyesight and hearing.

 

               17. They use echolocation to locate prey and other dolphins.

 

               18. Baby dolphins remain with their mother for two or three years.

 

               19. The average lifespan of a dolphin is 17 years.

 

               20. They are able to dive up to 1,000 feet.

 

               21. They can swim at speeds up to 25 mph for a long time.

 

               22. Although dolphins are gentle and mild, they can get aggressive.

 

               23. A mature dolphin can eat up to 30 pounds of fish daily.

 

               24. They can leap up to 20 feet in the air.

 

               25. Only one side of their brain sleeps at a time so they can rest & watch for threats.

 

               26. Dolphins enjoy socializing and playing.

 

               27. The smallest dolphin is 4 feet long and the longest dolphin is 30 feet long.

 

               28. They have a fast healing process.

 

               29. A dolphin's tale is known as a fluke.

 

               30. Dolphins are altruistic animals.They are known to stay and help injured individuals,

                     even helping them to the surface to breath. There are also many accounts of dolphins

                     helping humans and even whales.

 

This is several years ago when 30 dolphins got stranded on a beach in Brazil and they got rescued by a group of people, who push them back into the ocean.

 

This is a group of dolphins protecting a person from sharks.

 

The following is a link to find out more about dolphins at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. They're well known from the movies Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2. It's the story of a real life dolphin named Winter, who lost her tail after getting caught in a net and became the first dolphin/animal to receive a prosthesis for the tail. Clearwater Marine Aquarium rescues stranded and/or hurt dolphins and other sea creatures, including otters and sea turtles, rehabilitates them and then releases them back into the wild - unless for some reason they can't, like in Winter's case.

http://www.seewinter.com/

 

Hope you enjoyed these facts about dolphins.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

 

Meg