Dolphins are one of the most beautiful marine species in nature. We know that you love them as much as we do, so if you want to know everything about them, in this blog, we share 19 fun facts about Dolphins so that you can learn everything about them, this wonderful species of Marine Mammals and their life in the depths. Are you ready?
Learn 19 Fun Facts about Dolphins
1. Dolphins are very friendly marine species; they stand out for forming large families, and love to play and swim with other Dolphins in groups of at least 1,000 specimens.
2. Dolphins sleep with one eye closed and the other open. They can sleep in only one hemisphere of their brain and keep the other active to continue swimming, breathing, and observing predators.
3. The Dolphin is one of the most intelligent animals on the planet; its mind is comparable to that of a 10-year-old child, and they are the most intelligent Marine Mammals, only behind chimpanzees.
4. Another of the incredible fun facts about Dolphins is that the Dolphin’s body is hydrodynamic, delimited, and fusiform, that is, oval and elongated.
5. Sexual maturity is variable among Dolphin species, with males generally reaching maturity at 11 and females around 5 to 7 years of age.
6. The Dolphin’s gestation period is 12 months, and the lactation period is 18 to 24 months. The babies come out tail first, rather than head first, so they don’t suffocate during the birthing process.
7. Dolphin skin lacks sweat glands and is odorless.
8. Fat contributes to the Dolphin’s elongated shape, provides energy reserves, helps it not lose body heat, and protects its internal organs.
9. One of the most popular fun facts about Dolphins is that they are the best known Marine Mammals worldwide due to their intelligence and kindness towards human interaction.
10. Dolphins are known for their playful behavior and remarkable agility; they can make impressive jumps and even spin through the air!
11. The Bottlenose Dolphin can measure 2 to 4 meters long.
12. Dolphins swim at most 300 meters to avoid using up their oxygen reserves before returning to the surface.
13. Most species of Dolphins live in seawater and can be found in all the planet’s oceans, but only a few species live in freshwater.
14. The skin color of Dolphins is grayish blue, but it can also be black, white, light gray, bluish, and even pink. The combination of these colors varies depending on the species.
15. A Dolphin’s dorsal fin acts as a keel when the animal swims, giving it directional control and stability in the water.
16. There are more than 40 species of Dolphins; the best-known species is the Bottlenose Dolphin.
17. Dolphins use echolocation to see the world around them. This ability allows them to calculate an object’s distance, shape, density, movement, and texture. Its sonar is the best in the animal kingdom.
18. Dolphins are carnivores; some species have up to 100 teeth and don’t use them to chew; they use them to hold the fish and then swallow them.
19. Our last fact in this list of fun facts about Dolphins is that in the wild, Dolphins live 25 to 30 years, while under human care, they have a life expectancy of up to 60 years.
“They are very emblematic animals, animals that have always, throughout history, since the beginning of humanity, attracted much attention.”
Manuel Garduño, Marine Mammal
Specialist Manager at Dolphin Discovery.
If you want more fun facts about Dolphins, we invite you to watch the interview with Manuel Garduño, Manager of Mammal Specialists at Dolphin Discovery.
Did you know these fun facts about Dolphins and other species of Marine Mammals? You can get to know this marine species more closely with the catamaran tour + swim with Dolphins from Aquatours. Cheer up you!
