Tuesday 2 December 2014

Amazing and Interesting Facts about Dolphins.

There is no doubt that dolphins are one of the most interesting forms of aquatic life out there. They are easy to recognize and you likely already know they are very smart. Yet there are plenty of great facts about them that you may not know. That will all change though when you get done reading this!



The dolphin is the only mammal that gives birth with the tail first instead of the head.

Dolphins don’t smell very well.

Young dolphins will remain with their mother for a period of 2 or 3 years.

There are two stomachs for dolphins just like for cows. The first one stores the food for them and the second one is where digestion takes place.

A dolphin may be able to dive up to 1,000 feet.

The dorsal fin on every dolphin is very unique and it can be used to identify them from each other.

Dolphins can swim at a speed of up to 25 miles per hour for a long time. This is about 3 times faster than the fastest humans in the world.

The average lifespan of a dolphin is 17 years. However, some of them that have been observed in the wild lived about 50 years.

Most species of dolphins live in saltwater but some of them thrive in freshwater.

A dolphin needs to get air at different intervals. Some need air every 20 seconds but others only need it every 30 minutes.

A group of dolphins is called a pod.


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.


A baby dolphin is born tail-first to prevent drowning. After the mother breaks the umbilical cord by swiftly swimming away, she must immediately return to her baby and take it to the surface to breathe.

A baby dolphin must learn to hold its breath while nursing.

A female dolphin will assist in the birth of another’s baby dolphin, and if it is a difficult birth, the “midwife” might help pull out the baby. Other dolphins, including bulls, will swim around the mother during birth to protect her.

The blowhole is an evolved nose that has moved upward to the top of the dolphin’s head.

Air can be expelled from a dolphin’s blowhole at speeds topping 100 mph.

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