With unparalleled beauty and tenderness, dolphins attract young and old alike. And their personality is very contagious, but the most interesting thing is that they hide curious facts that you should know.
In this post, we will tell you about 19 Fun Facts About Dolphins that you didn’t know. In addition, you will have the opportunity to learn all about their personality and physical appearance through these facts. So, don’t stop reading, and maybe you will be motivated to get to know these intelligent marine species.
The 19 Fun Facts About Dolphins
What have you been told about dolphins? It is likely that those who have been in contact with them have told you a little more about their actual physical appearance, their intelligence and their ability to attract. But there is nothing more interesting than discovering the 19 Fun Facts About Dolphins to feel more attraction that we are going to mention below.
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Communicate with each other
The first Fun Fact About Dolphins is the diverse and intense sound that these animals transmit. What for us may seem an annoying sound, for them is their way of communicating. Yes, dolphins have their own language code, which makes them communicate with each other.
They have a high level of hearing that allows them not only to easily hear their partner over long distances, but with this they are able to transmit about 700 different sounds.
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Your way of sleeping
It is noteworthy that these marine animals have a very curious way of sleeping, and that is that they sleep with one open and one closed. This does not mean that they do not sleep completely, because their brain is divided to perform this action.
The truth is that their brain is prepared for them to sleep with only one hemisphere. And it is for this reason that they leave one eye open while they sleep. It is curious, isn’t it?
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They are friendly to each other
One of the Fun Facts About Dolphins that is also interesting is that they are very friendly. And not only with humans, but with their own marine companions.
For example, when one of these gets hurt or feels afraid, if they are in a group, everyone supports them. They pick him up, lift him up, and together, they carry him to a safe place to breathe more calmly.
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In-water protection
An outstanding feature of these intelligent marine animals is that they can swim quickly in the water. But to achieve this, they use their soft skin that protects them at all times, as it is able to renew itself every two hours.
So, when it comes to maintaining agility in and out of the water, these dolphins must rely on their own skin.
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More intelligence than any other animal
Among the 19 Fun Facts About Dolphins in this list, we have to talk about their intelligence. It is said that they are usually as intelligent as a 10 year old child. This makes them the second most intelligent animals on the planet.
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Kindness to human beings
If you have ever seen a dolphin up close, you will be amazed by their friendliness, as if they seemed to know you. Yes, this is a dolphin fact worth mentioning. They are very gentle and friendly, they let you pet them and don’t get upset about it.
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Seeking to breathe
Another curious fact about dolphins that many people do not know is the way they breathe. They do not breathe by reflex like humans, but rather they need to take their time to do it.
Hence, they have to get out of the water to breathe for about 5 to 8 minutes.
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Winter nutrition
During certain times of the year dolphins tend to eat more than at other times. The reason is that in the winter, for example, they require more blubber to keep warm in cold waters.
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No sense of smell
Unlike other animals that use their sense of smell to know when other animals are nearby, dolphins cannot use their sense of smell because they lack this sense.
Rather, they sharpen their other senses such as hearing and vision to communicate and find their prey.
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Sexual maturity
At this point, we must talk about how they develop sexually, which is an interesting fact about these animals as well. Being so, dolphins usually reach this maturity at approximately 11 years of age when they are males. And females when they are 5 or 7 years old.
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The gestation period
Like many other marine animal species, dolphins have the peculiarity of gestation for a period of 12 months. And they can lactate for 18 to 24 months like a human baby.
But it is interesting that at birth the tail comes out first, to avoid possible suffocation.
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Blubber for dolphins
Fat must always be present in these marine mammals, as it allows them to build their energy reserves and protect their organs.
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The dolphin swim
But if we talk about Fun Facts About Dolphins, we cannot leave out swimming. They are able to swim a maximum of 300 meters so that their oxygen does not run out, and they can return to the surface.
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They use a large capacity
It is known as echolocation, and has endowed these marine creatures with the ability to locate themselves and see everything around them. In this way, they can calculate the distance and other important aspects to know where they are and where people are.
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A flap that provides information
Another curious fact about dolphins that we have in this list is that they use one of their flippers to have more control and direction. This allows them to swim with greater balance.
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They use their teeth to swallow
Although dolphins have about 100 teeth, not all of them are used for chewing. They also use them to catch their prey, hold them tightly, and finally swallow them with a single blow.
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Life expectancy
How long can dolphins live? Most usually live about 25 to 30 years independent of human care, but when protected and cared for, they can extend their life expectancy to about 50 years.
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Number of species
There are about 40 species of dolphins in total, but one of the best known is the bottlenose dolphin. They are more careful with humans.
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Your special habitat
Undoubtedly, the habitat of these mammals is water, so they can be found in many oceans. However, they are more attracted to live under fresh water.
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Body shape
Finally, among the Fun Facts About Dolphins that you will find in Aqatours is the special and curious shape they have. Their body is elongated and oval, which translates into an ideal figure for their swims.