The Interesting Facts of Dolphins

Many people have heard that dolphins and humans are very similar.  Dolphins are very intelligent and playful.  Even in the wild, they are not a significant threat to humans' safety.  Dolphins are very playful and curious animals.  According to the Defenders of Wildlife (2014), "Dolphins are well known for their agility and playful behavior, making them a favorite of wildlife watchers" (para. 5).  The dolphins enjoy people-watching as much as people enjoy dolphin-watching.  When people take boats out in the open ocean to view dolphins in their natural habitats, dolphins enjoy jumping and playing in the wake of the boat.  They are very curious and playful animals.  Below is a video of dolphins jumping in a wake taken by a person's camera near Marco Island, Florida.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkgDlI924GY

Not only are dolphins known for their playfulness and intelligence, but they are also known for their use of echolocation.  According to Dolphins-World, echolocation is the process of making a click-like noise that sends sound waves to bounce vibrations off of an object back to the dolphins; "This allows them to identify where objects are located. It also gives them information about the location of the object and some indication of the shape and size of it" (para. 1).  Echolocation is a fascinating ability that dolphins have and people do not.

The most well-known dolphins in the United States are bottlenose dolphins.  These are at SeaWorld and are the most commonly-seen dolphins when people go to the ocean.  Bottlenose dolphins stay closer to shore than other dolphins.  They play and have their calves in the shallow water.  According to Michael J. Davenport (2011), "They are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans" (para. 3).  Bottlenose dolphins are very common, and people all over the country know what they look like.  Dolphins are a well-known species among humans, but there is always more research to be done.


Photograph taken by Willy Volk

References

Davenport, M. J. (2011). Wildlife Field Guide for New Jersey's Endangered and Threatened Species - Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Retrieved from http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/species/fieldguide/view/Tursiops%20truncatus/

Defenders of Wildlife. (2014). Dolphin - Basic Facts About Dolphins. Retrieved from http://www.defenders.org/dolphin/basic-facts

Dolphins-World. (n.d.). Dolphin Echolocation - Dolphin Facts and Information. Retrieved from http://www.dolphins-world.com/dolphin-echolocation/

GBTexas1. (2011, June 5). Dolphin Jumping in Boat Wake near Marco Island Florida Part 1. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkgDlI924GY

Volk, W. (2011). Bottlenose Dolphin [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/images/artinline_1012.jpg