10 Quick Facts About Dolphins

Dolphins are captivating creatures that are adored by nearly everyone. They are charming, playful, and consistently attract an audience whenever they come up to the surface.

There are over 40 different species of dolphins all over the world, but the Atlantic bottlenose Dolphin is the species that makes Florida their home. Here are quick facts about dolphins.

Dolphins Are Meat Eaters (Carnivores)

Dolphins consume a diverse range of foods, such as fish, squid, octopus, crustaceans, cephalopods, and other marine life.

Smaller dolphins typically focus on a diet of fish and other small prey. Larger dolphins, like the killer whale (which might surprise you to learn is actually a type of dolphin), feed on larger creatures, including sea lions, seabirds, sharks, and penguins.

On our dolphin tours we occasionally come across a young dolphin trying to break into a crab trap. The youngsters learn soon enough the traps are not worth the trouble.

Dolphins Live Almost As Long As Humans

Females dolphins live the longest, sometimes up to the age of 60 years old. The males usually live to about 40 years of age. Some other species of dolphins can live longer. The oldest recorded age of an Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin is 66 years old.

The oldest female dolphin on record to bear a calf was 48 years old. Her name was Niklo. Female dolphins do not experience menopause.

Dolphins Can Reach Speeds Exceeding 20mph

Although we usually see dolphins casually scrolling at 6 or 7 miles an hour on our dolphin tours, they have been observed moving through the water at nearly 25mph. They have extremely powerful tail and fluke muscles that make this possible. This is a large expenditure of energy so it is usually reserved for circumstances that includes some sort of distress.

Dolphins Can Communicate Easily Over a Mile Distance

Because sound travels better through water than through air, dolphins can easily communicate over long distances. These sounds are in the form of clicks, squeaks, and whistles. They use these sounds to coordinate or to signal for help if in distress. And just like us humans have names, each individual dolphin does indeed have their own signature whistle or sound that identifies them to others.

Dolphins Do Not Have Vocal Chords

Communication from dolphins does not come out of their mouths. Rather, all sounds come from their blowhole. Often on our dolphin tours, we know we have dolphins swimming beneath our boats when we see their signature circular "flat spots" on the water's surface, created by air bubbles emerging from their blowholes. We jokingly call these "footprints" when pointing these out to our passengers.

Dolphins Live In Family Groups Called Pods

The size of pods varies, and are usually around 10 to 15 dolphins. They are not always necessarily blood relatives, but certainly multigenerational. Pods might include both mother and calf pair, juveniles dolphins, and adult male dolphins.

Dolphins Can Hold Their Breath Much Longer Than Humans

Dolphins can stay under for 6 or 7 minutes, and certain species of dolphins can hold their breath even longer. They can slow their heart rate and blood flow to conserve oxygen which is useful for deep dives.

Truth be told, we almost always see dolphins come up every 20 or 30 seconds or so on our dolphin tours. Dolphins stay in shallower waters, where its easier to hunt and long deep dives are not necessary.

Dolphins Sleep Using Only Half Of Their Brain.

Dolphins and whales have a unique sleeping method known as “unihemispheric slow-wave sleep.” Essentially, this means they rest with just one half of their brain at a time. When a dolphin sleeps, it deactivates one hemisphere of its brain and closes the eye on the opposite side. This enables the dolphin to stay aware of its surroundings and control its breathing.

In reality, humans sleep in a comparable way. A portion of our brain remains vigilant, waking us if our face is pressed into the pillow to ensure we can breathe, if our bladder making requests, or if the alarm sounds signaling it's time for school or work.

Size Comparisons of Dolphins

Male bottlenose dolphins are generally larger than the females, usually getting to about 10 feet, and 1000 pounds. Females are generally about half that size, and can get to approximately 600 pounds. While we are on our tours, we can recognize genders when we see a full size 7 or 8 foot dolphin as being a male. Otherwise determining gender is nearly impossible.

Calves can differ greatly in size, with newborns measuring between 2 to 4 feet in length and weighing from 20 to 40 pounds. While on our dolphin tours we identify a newborn in the water by observing their swimming. A newborn tends to appear somewhat awkward when surfacing for air and lacks the smooth gracefulness in their swimming that the adults have.

Dolphins Have Great Social Skills and Create Strong Bonds

Dolphins usually have a single calf that remains with them for the first 3 or 4 years of its life. Such long-term family bonds are uncommon among animal species. Elephants are among the few animals that stay with their offspring longer. Elephants live with their families until they are at least nine years old.

Dolphins exhibit very social and cooperative behaviors. If a dolphin is injured, others will collaborate to help it reach the surface every thirty minutes to breathe. Adult females will assist each other during birthing of the calves. They are also known to assist other animals and even humans in times of need.

We have seen dolphins interact with dogs on their docks looking down at the water. Folks on our dolphin tours wonder if the dolphins are

inviting the doggies out for a swim.