Dolphins

Dolphin Wallpapers

Dolphin Wallpapers

                                                                                                   Dolphins

Dolphins are very intelligent and they seem to be well loved by humans. This aquatic mammal has been able to fascinate us in a variety of ways. They are curious, form strong bonds within their pod, and they have been known to help humans in a variety of circumstances including rescues and with fishing.

There are 36 different species of dolphins that have been recognized. 32 of them are marine dolphins which are those that we are the most aware of and 4 of them are river dolphins. It can be very interesting to look at each of these species uniquely versus dolphins as a whole.

They are very entertaining due to the leaps that they make out of the water. Some of them leap up to 30 feet in the air as they do so. They have to come to the surface to for water at different intervals to get air. This can be from 20 seconds to 30 minutes between when they get air. The body of the dolphin is grayish blue and the skin is very sensitive to human touch and to other elements that could be in the water.

Even though dolphins have 100 teeth, they don’t use them for eating. They do use them to get the fish though and then they swallow them. They can consume up to 30 pounds fish per day. They usually work as a team in their pod to get the school of fish surrounded and balled up. From there, they can plow through the middle and eat plenty as they do so.

They take turns doing this so that all that participated get to dine on the fish. This is just one of the many different types of feeding strategies that they may take part in. They do what is necessary to get the food for the pod members. It can include jumps, zig zag patterns, circles, and a combination of efforts to get the job done.

Most of the species of dolphins live in saltwater but there are some that are able to do well in the freshwater locations. They are mainly found in the freshwater of the Amazon River. They are easily seen by humans as they tend to stick to the swallow locations of the water.

It is amazing the difference in size of the various species of dolphins. The larger ones can weigh about 11 tons and be close to 30 feet long. The smaller ones are about 90 pounds and 4 feet long. Between those two spectrums you will find all weights and lengths. The species as well as their location play a huge role in their overall size.

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

Through extensive research, echolocation has been identified as a key element of dolphin life. It allows them to communicate in the water by identifying sound waves. It is a complex ability that stems from the melon that is located in the head of a dolphin. All dolphin species have a blowhole.

Dolphins have very good vision, and they are able to see what is around them both in the water and when they are above the surface of it. They have excellent hearing too, with the ability to hear about 10 times better than humans. The sense of smell isn’t well developed for them though. The sense of touch is very sensitive for dolphins and they use it for bonding within their pods. They rely on a combination of their senses to avoid danger, to find food, and to socialize.

  

"Dolphins have been interacting with humans foras long as we have known of their existence".

Even though we have plenty of information about dolphins today, there are plenty of questions that remain about their past. There are theories of evolution and even some fossil remains that have surfaced to give clues. It is believed that millions of years ago the dolphins were much smaller than they are today. Many experts also believe that echolocation is a result of the evolution process. Only time and advances in technology though will help us to get definite answers about the evolution of dolphins.

The future is at risk for the various species of dolphins though due to habitat destruction, problems finding food, pollutants in the water, and even injuries or death due to getting tangled up in fishing nets or hitting boats in the water. There are conservation efforts in place out there to help protect them so that they can have a very good future. The average lifespan for a dolphin in the wild is 17 years. However, some have been documented to live to the age of 50!

Compared to other animals, dolphins are believed to be very intelligent.

Dolphins are carnivores (meat eaters).

The Killer Whale (also known as Orca) is actually a type of dolphin.

Bottlenose dolphins are the most common and well known type of dolphin.

Female dolphins are called cows, males are called bulls and young dolphins are called calves.

Dolphins live in schools or pods of up to 12 individuals.

Dolphins often display a playful attitude which makes them popular in human culture. They can be seen jumping out of the water, riding waves, play fighting and occasionally interacting with humans swimming in the water.

Dolphins use a blowhole on top of their heads to breathe.

Dolphins have excellent eyesight and hearing as well as the ability to use echolocation for finding the exact location of objects.

Dolphins communicate with each other by clicking, whistling and other sounds.

Some dolphin species face the threat of extinction, often directly as a result of human behavior. The Yangtze River Dolphin is an example of a dolphin species which may have recently become extinct.

Some fishing methods, such as the use of nets, kill a large number of dolphins every year.