#19. Dolphins have the longest memory in the animal kingdom
Memory is a brain function associated with higher cognitive function in both humans and
animals. Generally, only the smartest creatures are thought to have the best memories. In
the animal kingdom, creatures with the best capacity for memory include elephants and
crows. Dolphins are also on this list. In fact, they have the longest memory of any
creature. Among dolphin species, bottlenose dolphins have demonstrated the ability to
identify and relate to a specific whistle they have not heard for over 23 years.
#18. Dolphins can drown if their lungs are invaded by water
One of the most ironic revelations of the animal kingdom is that some creatures, despite
the fact that they live, breed, and hunt in water, can actually drown. Dolphins, being
aquatic mammals, are such creatures. More surprisingly, it takes very little water for
dolphins to drown. Just a tablespoon of water in a dolphin’s lung can drown it. Compare
this with humans, who can only drown if two tablespoons of water invade the lungs. In
addition to this, when dolphins take a breath, they replace 90 percent of the air in their
lungs with fresh air. For humans, the figure is 15 percent.
#17. Dolphins have belly buttons In humans, belly buttons are remnants of gestation.
They are the point at which the mother’s umbilical cord, through which she supplies
oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, is connected to the fetus’s body. Although many creatures
give birth to live young, not all of them use umbilical cords. However, dolphins do,
granting them belly buttons similar to humans. The gestation period for dolphins can vary
from species to species, although it can range between 12 to 17 months. Unlike most
other mammals, they give birth tail first.
#16. Dolphin teeth grow like tree rings To determine the age of a tree, botanists
cut its cross-section and examine the number of bands in the trunk. The bands, representing
clumps of cells, grow distinctly every year. For dolphins, the idea behind determining
their age is similar. However, instead of rings or bands, their teeth are used. Dolphins
grow a new row of teeth every year. By examining these teeth, marine biologists are able to
determine their age. On average, dolphins live for about 50 years. However, they do
not do well in captivity and live about 20 years in such instances.
#15. Dolphins can move each eye independently Dolphins have eyes placed on the side of their
head, with small eye orbits. Compared to the creature’s size, the dolphin’s eye is
rather small. However, in spite of this small size, they retain a measure of good eyesight.
Because of the placement of a dolphin’s eyes, they have two different optic fields
rather than the binocular field that humans have. They can also move each eye independently. This
ability grants them nearly 360 degrees vision. In spite of this, they have more powerful
senses at their disposal than sight.
#14. Unlike most wild animals, dolphins enjoy sex
It can be said that the purpose of all life is to reproduce. However, most animals approach
sex without enthusiasm. In fact, the male members of certain animal species die immediately
after reproduction. Examples include chameleons, praying mantises, and spiders. Dolphins are
a notable exception in that they enjoy sex. Although the actual process of copulation
lasts only seconds, they have been known to engage in prolonged periods of foreplay. In
fact, dolphins enjoy sex to the point where they have been known to perform certain deviant
sexual activities.
#13. Dolphins beach themselves often Dolphins beach themselves quite often. This
is a phenomenon in which they become stranded out of the water on a beach or even a rock.
Other creatures like whales also do this. For dolphins, there is a variety of reasons
why this happens. Sometimes, it starts out as a feeding tactic in which they hope to
isolate their prey out of the water and inadvertently strand themselves as well. In other instances,
it may be due to disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field, as they tend to beach in areas
with high magnetic activity.
#12. Dolphins tend to their sick In the animal kingdom, impairment is a death
sentence. A normal functioning creature may have a chance of escaping its predators, but
when that creature gets injured, that chance approaches zero. Most social creatures abandon
their sick so as not to slow down or put the entire group at risk. Dolphins, though, have
a habit of tending to the sick, injured and old in their groups, which are known as pods.
This may be due to their higher intelligence and possible capacity for such emotions as
compassion and empathy.
#11. Dolphins have delicate skin, but they heal quickly
Dolphins have very sensitive skin. So much so that they can be damaged by the least impact
on their bodies. However, dolphins have a fast-healing attribute and are able to recover
from wounds with no trouble at all. They can tolerate and recover from extreme injuries
such as shark bites. However, the exact methods used to achieve this are not known. They heal
so quickly that they literally cannot bleed to death. Even gaping wounds heal in such
a way that their body shape is completely restored. They also seemingly never get wound
infections.
#10. Killer whales are the biggest dolphins Also known as orcas, the common “killer
whale” name might deceive you into thinking these creatures are whales. However, they
are dolphins through and through, and this name emerged due to their penchant for being
whale killers. In fact, out of all dolphin species, they are the largest. They range
from 16 to 23 feet long, about the length of a bus, and they weigh between 6000 to
9000 pounds, about the weight of a flatbed truck. Most dolphin species have female-biased
sexual dimorphism, with the females being larger than the males.
#9. Dolphins are fast swimmers Dolphins have existed on Earth for about 50
million years. In that time, they have evolved into rather fast swimmers. They have streamlined
bodies and two limbs that are modified into flippers. Though they are not quite as flexible
as seals, they are faster than them. Some dolphins can travel at speeds of 18 miles
per hour for short distances. This allows them to catch fast-moving prey like fish and
squid. The killer whale can travel at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
#8. Dolphins blow bubbles to herd prey Dolphin speed isn’t the only tool they use
to hunt their prey. They have a variety of other techniques. One of these techniques
is fish whacking, in which they smack their tails against their prey to slow and weaken
them and make them easier to catch. Another technique they use is by blowing bubbles at
their prey using their blowholes. These bubbles are directional, ushering the prey towards
the surface. In addition to this, they have a strong sense of hearing. They also use bi-sonar,
a form of echolocation, to find their prey.
#7. Dolphins are very intelligent We’ve hinted at this fact already. However,
just how smart are these creatures? They are known to teach, learn, cooperate, scheme,
and grieve. They have a well-developed area of the brain, which is used to perform higher
functions like social conduct, emotions, judgment, and theory of mind. Some dolphins have also
demonstrated behavioral patterns that may hint at self-awareness. Killer whales have
the second largest brain mass of any animal on Earth, next to the sperm whale, with a
brain-to-body mass ratio in some is second only to humans.
#6. Dolphins are quite conversational Owing to their high intelligence, dolphins
are great communicators. They are capable of making a broad range of sounds using nasal
air sacs located just below the blowhole. The sounds they make can be separated into
three different categories. These include frequency modulated whistles, burst-pulsed
sounds, and clicks. The clicks are directional and are largely used for echolocation. The
other sounds are used for communication with other individuals. Because dolphins commonly
move in groups, communication is necessary.
#5. Dolphins can turn off half of their brain When a creature loses consciousness during
sleep, they expose themselves to great risk. This is because they cannot perceive threats
as they approach. Dolphins have a really intelligent way of getting around this vulnerability.
They can shut down certain areas of their brain at a time while keeping other areas
active. This allows them to sleep while maintaining enough consciousness to breathe and to watch
for other predators. In captivity, they do not do this. But in the wild, they must constantly
swim to stay alive.
#4. Dolphins can be found all over the world and in different environments
Dolphins can exist as oceanic species or river species. They exist in all waters of
the world. In spite of this large distribution, most species of dolphins prefer the warmer
waters of the tropic zones. However, there are exceptions, such as the right whale dolphin,
that prefer colder climates. There are 40 extant species of dolphins. Sometimes, these
species mate with each other, producing hybrid species. This characteristic has been observed
both in captivity and in the wild.
#3. Dolphins can dive up to 350 feet Although dolphins dare not stray too far from
the surface of the water since they need to return to it to breathe, some species have
been known to dive rather deep. They do this when food is scarce to come by at the surface
and must therefore go deeper to find sustenance. Dolphins can dive up to 350 feet beneath
the surface of the water. Although they stand a better chance of finding fish and squid
down there, they also turn into prey themselves from predators like sharks.
#2. Dolphins have teeth, yet they never chew Dolphins have teeth, yet they never chew.
Instead, their teeth, placed in a streamlined, conical mouth, are used to capture their prey.
They have no jaw muscles for chewing. They use their mouth to grab their food, like an
appendage. Then, they swallow it whole. They also have two-chambered stomachs.
#1. Dolphins are very friendly Dolphins can be very playful and friendly.
They have been known to be aggressive towards humans, but they have also been known to save
humans in crisis situations. On September 6, 2021, Kayleigh Grant, a diver, posted a
clip on social media platform Tik Tok showing how he and his companion were swimming off
the coast of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, when they were approached by a large oceanic whitetip
shark. Before the shark had the chance to turn aggressive, a concerned dolphin came
to the aid of Kayleigh and his swimming companion, circling them and vocalizing to drive away
the shark.
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