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 dont 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. The bonds of dolphins in a pod are very intense. They have been observed carrying for the sick, the elderly, and those that have been injured with great care. Even though they are usually very mild tempered, dolphins can be aggressive. They are able to see well in the water due to the retina gathering light in a unique way. The brain of a dolphin is #2 is terms of size compared to its body size. It is only behind the human. It is possible for a mature dolphin to eat up to 30 pounds of fish daily. There are about 100 teeth in the mouth of a dolphin. They use the teeth to grab their prey but they dont chew it. All food is swallowed whole. Up to 20 feet in the air is the distance that a dolphin can leap. The Killer Whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. They can be up to 30 feet in length.

The skin of the dolphin is very delicate and it can easily be damaged by contact with other surfaces. The Boto is the largest of the dolphins that can live in freshwater. They can be up to 10 feet long. Dolphins often use a hunting tactic of circling the fish in a school so that they make a tight ball. Then they will take turns going through the center of the ball to feed as they do so. Only one side of the dolphins brain sleeps at a time. This allows them to be able to breathe and to be able to watch for threats even while they are resting. Dolphins enjoy socializing and playing. They play with seaweed or with other members of the pod. Sometimes, they will tease other living creatures in the water. Global warming continues to be a problem for dolphins as it has reduced their food supply significantly. Dolphins can be migrational for food and to get to bodies of water that are the right temperatures for them. Not all pods of dolphins will migrate though if their needs are being met right where they are. Dolphins are known to engage in a variety of different feeding methods in order to be successful. Most of them involved cooperation and being in sync with other pod members. It is very rarely that they will try to get food on their own. The smallest dolphins are about 4 feet long with the longest being 30 feet long. They can weigh from 90 pounds to more than 11 tons. The fluke is the name for the tail on a dolphin. Echolocation is a big part of overall communication for dolphins. It occurs through the melon in the head. All dolphins have a blowhole at the top where they take in air when they come to the surface. Almost all dolphins have no hair other than a few that they have at birth. Only the Boto River Dolphin has a small amount of hair that they will keep as an adult. They have a fast healing process for their bodies even when they have deep wounds such as those that are the result of shark bites. Experts havent been able to determine how this is possible for dolphins when other mammals would hemorrhage.

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 dont 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 isnt 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 for as 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!

Dolphin Species Family Delphinidae, Oceanic Dolphins

Genus Delphinus
o o

Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis Short-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis

Genus Tursiops
o o o

Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops aduncus Burrunan Dolphin, Tursiops australis (discovered in 2011)

Genus Lissodelphis
o o

Northern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis Southern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii

Genus Sotalia
o o

Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis Costero, Sotalia guianensi

Genus Sousa
o o o

Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin, Sousa chinensis Chinese White Dolphin, Sousa chinensis chinensis Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, Sousa teuszii

Genus Stenella
o o o o

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Stenella frontalis Clymene Dolphin, Stenella clymene Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Stenella attenuata Spinner Dolphin, Stenella longirostris

Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba

Genus Steno
o

Rough-Toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis

Genus Cephalorhynchus
o o o o

Chilean Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus eutropia Commerson's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii Heaviside's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii Hector's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori

Genus Grampus
o

Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus

Genus Lagenodelphis
o

Fraser's Dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei

Genus Lagenorhynchus
o o o o o o

Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus acutus Dusky Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus Hourglass Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus cruciger Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens Peale's Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus australis White-Beaked Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris

Genus Orcaella
o o

Australian Snubfin Dolphin, Orcaella heinsohni Irrawaddy Dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris

Genus Peponocephala
o

Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electr

Genus Orcinus
o

Killer whale (Orca), Orcinus orca

Genus Feresa
o

Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuat

Genus Pseudorca
o

False Killer Whale, Pseudorca crassidens

Genus Globicephala
o

Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas

Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus

River Dolphins

Family Platanistidae
o

Ganges and Indus River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica

o

Ganges River Dolphin (or Susu), Platanista gangetica gangetica Indus River Dolphin (or Bhulan), Platanista gangetica minor

Family Iniidae
o

Amazon River Dolphin (or Boto), Inia geoffrensis

Family Lipotidae
o

Baiji (or Chinese River Dolphin), Lipotes vexillifer

Family Pontoporiidae La Plata Dolphin (or Franciscana), Pontoporia blainvillei Dolphins have been interacting with humans for as long as we have known of their existence. During this time, their more dangerous predator and the only one that have dramatically reduced dolphin population is the human. Even though we all agree that Dolphins are wonderful creatures that seem to be extremely intelligent and friendly, we still are a huge threat for dolphins. This site is a tribute for dolphins, those great animals which everybody likes, but most know so little about them. A deeper knowledge and further information about dolphins is definitively the first step towards better conservation and understanding of these wonderful mammals. Besides, the information is the weapon and our little contribution to fight dolphin killing and habitat damage. Trying to provide unique and different information about Dolphins, we have classified our articles into singular and uncommon categories like dolphin way of life, which includes the information about daily dolphin activities, for example what do dolphins eat? or social relationships, among others. Regarding the main survival activities, you will find detailed information about dolphin reproduction, the way they hunt and how they communicate. Atht he anatomic level, a detailed analysis about the technique called echolocation, their basic anatomy and physiology. The section related to humans is devoted to the relationship between dolphins and humans, including articles which describe human-dolphin encounters like the incredible rescues of humans by dolphins and how dolphins have impacted our culture reflecting this influence in movies, books and many other ways of expression that have existed for centuries and were recorded in ancient cultures at the extend that they were included in Greek and Roman mythology. Finally, the section dolphins for kids has been developed thinking in little kids, trying to provide them with basic information about dolphins through educative activities like puzzles, coloring pages or how to draw a dolphin with the idea to make kids aware of dolphin conservation in a funny way
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Dolphins species overview

There are 36 species of dolphins found in the world.There are 32 marine dolphins, and 4 river dolphins. They live mainly in saltwater such as the oceans but some of them live in freshwater and they are able to do very well there. They tend to live in the shallow water by the coast and they tend to live in warmer locations. The name dolphin comes from the word womb, and it is believed to be the Greek saying for fish with a womb. You may hear dolphins referred to by various names. The young are called calves and the female adults are cows. The male adults are bulls and a group of them is often called a pod. Sometimes, you may hear them referred to as a school. There are plenty of differences among the species of dolphins and that is why they have been broken down in to various categories. The distinctive populations of them stem from the DNA code. What has been noted is that the different species have vary different codes which sets them apart from each other far more than researchers had originally believed. The DNA code is how a discovery was made that identified a separate species of dolphin than what had been looked at before. In 2011, a new dolphins species was found in Big City Harbor around Australia. The Burrunan Dolphin is believed to be only in two areas at this time. There are about 100 of them in Port Phillip Bay around Melbourne and about 50 more of them in the coastal lakes of Gippsland which is about 100 miles away. Studies also indicate that there are differences among the species of dolphins in terms of their skull size and design. When they are looked at closely, there are slight variations that have been noted. There are some other differences too including some having a curved dorsal fin instead of straight and changes to the snout. Here is some information about some of the commonly known species. It can be an interesting though to take one at a time and learn more about them. The type of dolphin you will see in a given area depends on environmental factors such as enough food and the temperature. The time of year also is a factor due to the heavy migrational efforts of most dolphins. Perhaps the most common of all dolphins is the Bottlenose Dolphin. This is the one you often see in books, movies, and when you visit an aquarium. They are very intelligent, easy to train, and they are more likely to approach humans in the wild than other species. River Dolphins live in freshwater, and they are found in a variety of rivers around South America and Asia. They are smaller than most dolphins, with an average size of about 8 feet when fully mature. They can be various colors too including brown, gray, or black. The Roughed Tooth Dolphin is harder to spot out there in bodies of water because they prefer the deeper locations. They can weigh about 350 pounds and measure about 8 feet long. They have a small head and feature a long beak. They are also lacking the common crease on the melon that other dolphins have. The square shaded head of the Risso Dolphin is a telling sign of what species you are seeing. They dont have any teeth in the upper jaw but they have several peg like teeth on the bottom jaw. They are frequently found in captivity on display because they thrive in such an environment.

The Striped Dolphin gets its name from the blue and white stripes on the body. This species is believed to have the highest population as well as the biggest overall distribution of that population. If you want to be impressed by acrobatics, check out the Spinner Dolphin. People love to see them perform both in the wild and when they have been trained in captivity. The Common Dolphin is very simple in design, but also very respected in the early cultures. Researchers have found items from the Ancient Greek and Roman times. The Dusky Dolphins tend to live in water that is cooler than the temperatures for other species of dolphins. They can be found along the coastal regions as well. The Killer Whale is believed to be the most powerful of the dolphins due to their size and their strength. They can take down seals effortlessly which is important due to the significant volume of food that they can consume on a daily basis. The Pilot Whale can weigh up to 5,000 pounds and be up to 24 feet long. They are believed to be the most social of the dolphin species. They are also very vulnerable to pollution in their habitat.

Bottlenose Dolphins Spinner Dolphin Striped Dolphin Chinese White Dolphin Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Clymene Dolphin Commerson's Dolphin Common Dolphin Dusky Dolphin Fraser's Dolphin Hector's Dolphin Indo Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin Pacific White Sided Dolphin Pantropical Spotted Dolphin Risso's Dolphin Rough Toothed Dolphin

Irrawaddy Dolphin Pilot Whale Killer Whale River Dolphins Dolphins Species

Dolphin Species Introduction & Index

There is some debate over how many different species of dolphins there really are. Some say there are 32 different species, while some say that there actually 33. It all depends on whether you think the White Whale counts as a dolphin or not. Some say that it does, some say that it doesn't.

Dolphin or Whale?
The largest of all dolphin species is the Orca, which is commonly known as the Killer Whale. These dolphins can be over 31 feet long when fully grown, which has provided them with the unproper name of "whale". Also, there are several different dolphins considered as the smallest dolphin species. These include True dolphins, Tucuxi dolphins, Hector's dolphins, Black dolphins, River dolphins, porpoises, and Commerson's dolphins.

Dolphins are Cetaceans

All dolphins belong to the cetacean family. This order includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The Cetacean order is broken down into sub-orders. In other words, the entire cetacean family is broken down into smaller families. The first sub-order is the Mysticeti family, which is made up of Baleen Whales. These whales capture prey by straining water through a series of baleen plates in their mouths. These plates act as filters to collect the food. Included in the Mysticeti family is the Balaenopteridae family, which is made up of Minke Whales, Sei Whales, Bryde's Whales, Blue Whales, Fin Whales, and the Humpback Whales. These are all fast swimmers that take in a great amount of water in an expanding buccal cavity, then expel the water through the baleen to capture their prey. Their bodies are very streamlined, which allows them to be lunging feeders. The next family of cetaceans in the Mysticeti group is the Balaenidae family. The Bowhead Whales, Northern Right Whales, Southern Right Whales, and Pygmy Right Whales make up this group, and they are characterized by their habit of being slow-moving, continuous filter feeders. Still in the Mysteiceti group, the next family is the Eschrichtidae family. This family is comprised of the Gray Whale.

Odonticety Sub-Order, the Toothed Cetaceans

After the Mysticeti sub-order, the next sub-order in the cetacean family is the Odontoceti sub-order. This group is made up of toothed whales. The first family is the Ziphidae family, which is made up entirely of big toothed whales like the beaked whales, North Sea Beaked Whales, Strap-Toothed Whales, Antillean Beaked Whales, True's Beaked Whales, Camperdown Whales, Blainville's Beaked Whales, Longman's Beaked Whales, Hector's Beaked Whales, Ginkgo-Toothed Beaked Whales, Stejneger's Beaked Whales, Hubb's Beaked Whales, Cuvier's Beaked Whales, Baird's Beaked Whales, Arnoux's Beaked Whales, Tasman Beaked Whales, Northern Bottlenose Whales, and Southern Bottlenose Whales. These whales are deep diving, deep water whales that are rarely seen by humans. The next family in the Odonticeti sub-order is the Physeteridae family, which includes the Sperm Whale, Pygmy Sperm Whale, and Dwarf Sperm Whale. The next family is the Monodontidae family, which is made up of the White Whale and the Narwhal Whale. These whales are normally found in large groups. The Platanistidae Family is the first sub-order of the Odonticeti family, and it is made up of the river dolphins, which includes:
Ganges River Dolphins Indus River Dolphins Amazon River Dolphins Chinese River Dolphins Franciscana River Dolphins

The Stenidae family, which is also part of the Odonticeti sub-order is made up of RoughToothed Dolphins, Pantropical Spotted Dolphins, Spotted Dolphins, Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, Striped Dolphins, Long-Snouted Spinner Dolphins, Short-Snouted Spinner Dolphins, Tucuxi Dolphins, Guiana River Dolphins, Chinese White Dolphins, Borneo White Dolphins, Speckled Dolphins, Plumbeous Dolphins, Cameroon Dolphins, and Rio De Janeiro Dolphins. The Delphinidae family, is made up of dolphins that people commonly know more about. These include include:
Common Dolphin Risso's Dolphins Bottlenose Dolphin White-Sided Dolphin White Beaked Dolphin Dusky Dolphin Falkland Island Dolphin Hour Glass Dolphin Peale's Dolphin Sarawak Dolphin Pygmy Killer Whales Heaviside's Dolphin White Bellied Dolphins Orcas - also known as Killer Whales False Killer Whales Irrawaddy River Dolphins Pilot Whales Short-finned Pilot Whales

Broad Beaked Dolphins Southern Right Whale Dolphins Northern Right Whale Dolphins

The last family in the Odonticeti sub-order is the Phocoenidae family, which is made up of the various species of porpoises. This includes the Harbor Porpoise, Spectacled Porpoise, Black Porpoise, Black Finless Porpoise, Dall's Porpoise, True's Porpoise, Finless Porpoise, and Cochito Porpoise. The final sub-order of cetaceans is the Archaeoceti family. This is the family of whale's that no longer exists. They are fossil whales, as they existed before dolphin's began to evolve, and they date back 50 million years.

dolphins are mammals? They give birth to live young and nurse them with milk. dolphins have to come up to the surface to breathe? Most dolphins surface every few minutes, but they can stay under water for up to 15 minutes. A dolphin breathes through the blowhole on top of its head.

dolphins evolved from land animals? The land ancestor of the dolphin lived about 50 million years ago and looked a little like a wolf. This animal hunted in shallow waters and by and by adapted itself to life in water: the forelegs became flippers, the hindlegs disappeared and the fluke evolved, the fur disappeared and the nostrils moved to the top of the head.

dolphins use echolocation to navigate and to find food? Dolphins send out clicks that are returned from other objects in the water (just like an echo). This way a dolphin can locate food, other dolphins, predators or rocks.

dolphins live in families? These families are usually led by a female dolphin. The dolphins in a family help each other, for example when raising their young. When travelling or hunting, several families might join together to make a larger group, a school of dolphins.

the largest dolphin is the orca? It can reach up to ten metres in length. For more information on this dolphin, read our text about orcas.

dolphins have a thick layer of fat beneath their skin? This layer of fat is called blubber. As dolphins have no fur, they need the blubber to keep warm. Dolphins in colder waters usually have a thicker layer of fat than dolphins in warm waters.

dolphins are endangered? Humans are the greatest threat to dolphins: environmental pollution, habitat destruction and overfishing are the main reasons why so many dolphin species are endangered. Lots of dolphins get stuck in fishing nets and in some countries, dolphins are deliberately killed because they eat the fish that the fishermen want to catch. If we do not do anything about it, dolphins might soon be extinct.

not all dolphins live in seawater? There are some species that live in fresh water: the river dolphins. Unfortunately, river dolphins are critically endangered and it is even feared that one species, the baiji, has already died out.

you can help to protect dolphins? Educate yourself about these animals and tell others about them. Care more about our environment and start to recycle more things. Raise money for an organisation that helps to support dolphins.

Dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals and are part of the family of toothed whales that includes orcas and pilot whales. They are found worldwide, mostly in shallow seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. Dolphin coloration varies, but they are generally gray in color with darker backs than the rest of their bodies.

Diet
Dolphins consume a variety of prey including fish, squid and crustaceans.

Population
It is difficult to estimate population numbers since there are many different species spanning a large geographic area.

Range
Did You Know? Like bats, dolphins use echolocation to navigate and hunt, bouncing high-pitched sounds off of objects, and listening for the echoes.

Most species live in shallow areas of tropical and temperate oceans throughout the world. Five species live in the world's rivers.

Behavior
Dolphins are well known for their agility and playful behavior, making them a favorite of wildlife watchers. Many species will leap out of the water, spy-hop (rise vertically out of the water to view their surroundings) and follow ships, often synchronizing their movements with one another. Scientists believe that dolphins conserve energy by swimming alongside ships, a practice known as bow-riding. Dolphins live in social groups of five to several hundred. They use echolocation to find prey and often hunt together by surrounding a school of fish, trapping them and taking turns swimming through the school and catching fish. Dolphins will also follow seabirds, other whales and fishing boats to feed opportunistically on the fish they scare up or discard.

Did You Know? To prevent drowning while sleeping only half of the dolphins brain goes to sleep while the other half remains awake so they can continue to breathe!

Reproduction
Mating Season: Throughout the year, though in some areas there is a peak in spring and fall. Gestation: 9-17 months depending on the species. When it is time to give birth, the female will distance herself from the pod, often going near the surface of the water. Number of offspring: Usually one calf; twins are rare.

As soon as the calf is born, the mother must quickly take it to the surface so it can take its first breath. The calf will nurse from 11 months to 2 years, and after it is done nursing it will still stay with its mother until it is between 3 and 8 years old.