Bottlenose dolphins are well known for their intelligence and for being charismatic stars of many aquarium shows. They have a curved mouth that looks like a friendly smile and they can be trained to perform tricks. Bottlenose dolphins are usually grey in colour and the shade may turn darker towards the dorsal fin.
Bottlenose dolphins have an average lifespan of 45 - 50 years in captivity. They have sharp eyesight, both in and out of water but a relatively poor sense of smell. Bottlenose dolphins often remain close to the surface area of the water when they try to sleep. Bottlenose dolphins cannot go completely into deep sleep.
They can reach speeds of over 18 miles (30 kilometers) an hour. They often come to the surface to breathe, doing so two or three times a minute. Bottlenose dolphins travel in social groups and are able to communicate with each other by a complex system of squeaks and whistles.
Hunting and diet
Bottlenose dolphins track their prey via the expert use of echolocation. They are able to produce up to 1,000 clicking noises per second. These sounds travel underwater until they encounter objects, then these sounds bounce back to the dolphin senders, revealing the location, size and shape of the target.
Dolphins often feed on bottom-dwelling fish although they also eat shrimp and squid. These intelligent animal are sometimes seen following fish boats in hopes of dining on leftovers.
Bottlenose dolphins are found in tropical oceans and other warm waters across the globe. They were once widely hunted for meat (for cooking) and oil (for lamps) but today only limited dolphin fishing occurs. Dolphins are still threatened by commercial fishing for other species, like tuna and can become entangled in nets and other fishing equipment.
Mating occurs belly to belly. The gestation period averages around 12 months. Dolphins can give birth at any time of year, although peaks occur in warmer months. The young are born in shallow water and usually only a single calf is born. Twins are possible but rare.
All dophins are porpoises. Although their names are used interchangeably, porpoises are actually a larger group that also includes animals like the orca and beluga whale.
- Dolphins are so smart, some have been trained by militaries to locate sea mines or detect and mark enemy divers.
- In some areas dolphins cooperate with local fishermen by driving fish into their nets and eating the fish that escape.
- Great eyesight, impressive agility and high speed are all ways to help a bottlenose dolphin protect themselves from predators.
Seeing as I didn't write an animal post last week, there will be two up this week. The next post will be on Ravens, chosen by Katie_yukon. Thanks for reading and please leave your comments on the dolphin below.
If you have missed any of my previous animal posts, you can check them out by clicking the links below.