Information About Dolphins
Dolphins are thought to be one of the most intelligent creatures in the world. They are also the most adored by so many because of their curious persona and the way that they jump and play. They have endeared themselves to us, so it is hard to remember that they are part of the whale family. These warm blooded mammals actually encompass all whales and are sometimes referred to as toothed whales.
Although we mostly know them as grey coloured, they come in a variety of colours from the black and white killer whale to almost solid black. There are a total of 67 varieties of dolphins each of them different in their own way. Dolphins however should not be confused with porpoises that have square teeth rather than rounded teeth, which is considerably more important than you may think.
Dolphins live in waters all over the world from the deep Pacific Ocean to the Amazon River including harbours, lagoons, gulfs, bays and more. The changes in water temperatures, as well as the migration of fish that they follow to eat are a few of the reasons that dolphins come and go out of a certain area. Some stay within a certain area whereas some travel hundreds of miles each year. No one can say how many dolphins there are in the world, but bottlenose dolphins in particular have increased in population can is somewhere near 125,000 and are not considered to be one of the endangered species of dolphins.
What most people are interested in when they think of dolphins is the way that they “talk.” Dolphins identify themselves with a unique signature whistle which is essentially like their own thumbprint. The sounds can be produced by the movements of the air in the trachea and nasal sacs. The sounds are a variety of clicks, moans, grunts, squeaks and so on. Some of their sounds even resemble creaking doors, not to mention whistling. The sounds can vary in volume, pattern and frequency and they are used to call their calf, alert other dolphins or simply to show that they are having fun.
Dolphins are amazing in every way. From the way they “surf” next to a bow of a boat, or jump almost 20 feet in the air. What you may not realize is that there are always reasons for what they do. Although it looks like they are just having fun, it actually ingrained in them to follow these certain behaviours. For example, when you see them swimming next to a boat, it is because they are hitching a ride so to speak. The currents that are pushed forward by the boat help them to retain some of their energy because they just go along with the currents.
What is most fascinating is the way that they interact with fellow mammals, humans and one another. Although we may never totally grasp the dolphin’s nature or personality, at least we can sit back, watch and enjoy it.
