DolphinsOne of the many creatures of the

sea!

Dolphins

• Dolphins are warm blooded mammals. They have round teeth and hair on their body, though the amount of hair they have is very little.

• Dolphins are part of the cetaceans family. The cetaceans family includes both dolphins and whales. Dolphins are the “toothed whale.”

• Dolphins vary in color.

• Adult dolphins grow to be about 8 or 9 feet long.

• Dolphins give birth to a live baby.

How a dolphin breathes

• Dolphins breathe through their blowhole which is located on the top of their head.

• Dolphins can refill their lungs in a fifth of a second. As it breaths, the air leaves the blowhole at a speed of 100 mph.

• There are complex nerve cells located around the hole that sense when the hole is near air and will then open.

• If water gets into the blowhole, a dolphin will drown, so powerful muscles close the hole as a dolphin dives into the water.

A glance into the Dolphin World

• Click on the picture to view two videos of dolphins!

More facts about Dolphins

• Dolphins can hold their breath for 5 to 8 minutes.

• Each dolphin has its own whistle that distinguishes it from another. It’s like having your own finger print.

• Dolphins usually live for 20 years, but some have been known to live for up to 40.

• Dolphins sleep partly awake. This means that they rest one side of their brain at a time.

• Dolphins closest land relatives are the cow, the pig and the deer.

• The gender difference between a male and a female dolphin can only be seen up close. A women has a mammary slit on the underside for birth.

• The common dolphin can be found in all temperate and tropical seas.

• There are dolphins that live in rivers also, but due to pollution and dams, river dolphins are in danger of extinction.

The Difference between a Dolphin and a Porpoise

• Dolphins and Porpoise are both members of the whale family. • Both have teeth.• The body type of a dolphin and a porpoise are different. A dolphin has a large

forehead.• Another way to tell the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise is to look at

their teeth. When a dolphin’s tooth is cut in half, it is round. All porpoises’ teeth are flat.

• A dolphin has a beak-like nose and a curved dorsal fin. A porpoise has a blunt like nose and has a triangular dorsal fun.

Dolphins Porpoise

Bottlenose Dolphin

• A Bottlenose dolphin is one type of dolphin.

• They can grow to be 12 feet long and weigh 1,400 pounds.

• A Bottlenose dolphin has a distinct beak, as you can see in the diagram located to the right.

• They eat fish and squid; fish that are found at the surface of the water.

• Dolphins have one main predator, the shark, but often, dolphins get caught in fishing nets.

• Bottlenose dolphins live in small pods of 12, but many times a bunch of small pods will join together to form a huge congregation of hundreds of dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins are very social.

• Dolphins can dive down 1,000 feet and can jump 20 feet into the air.

• They live in warm seas and some temperate sea waters worldwide.

• Click the above picture for activity!

A wave goodbye from the Dolphins!