Interesting dolphin facts

• Dolphins belong to a group of whales called ‘toothed whales’. The killer whale comes from this family.
• They are aquatic, warm-blooded mammals that live in the sea or ocean. Dolphins are found all over the world - from the icy seas of the Arctic and Antarctic to the tropical oceans. Some species are even found in the Amazon River.
• A dolphin has a streamlined body, smooth skin, no hair and no ears. Under the dolphin’s smooth skin, there is a layer of fat or blubber which helps to keep him warm.
• To swim, they push down with their powerful tail fin and steer with their flippers.
• The colour of their bodies helps camouflage them in the water, so they can’t be seen by predators.
• Dolphins can stay under water for a long time. Some dolphins can live underwater for as long as 30 minutes. They have a blowhole on top of their head, so they can come to the surface and breathe.
• Dolphins are social creatures and live in family groups called schools. Often a family will consist of a grandmother, a daughter and her children. They hunt for food together.
• To locate prey, they send out a series of clicks from their throats (echolocation), which bounce off shoals of fish ahead and returns to the dolphin’s ear. Fish and squid are their favourite foods.
• They are fast, agile swimmers. They leap out of the water and perform somersaults. Together, they glide across the water to communicate with other dolphins. This is why they enjoy swimming with humans.
• Sometimes a dolphin pushes his head out of the water, looking for food or land.
• Dolphins are very intelligent creatures. In fact, they have an IQ as high as a human toddler!

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