Dolphins

Dolphins are air breathing mammals that inhabit all the oceans of the world. There are 26 recognized species dolphins and 6 toothed whales that are classified as cetaceans. Probably the most familiar and best loved is the Bottlenose Dolphin found in the Pacific Ocean from southern California to the tropics and in the Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to Venezuela and the Gulf of Mexico.

Most have teeth in both jaws, a melon with a distinct beak, smooth sloping foreheads, a single notch in the middle of their flukes and a dorsal fin. Of the 26 species of dolphin, 13 tend to have long, well-defined beaks and streamlined thickened bodies. The other 13 species vary greatly in color, body shape and in the formation of their beaks and flippers, and dorsal fins. They do have similar short indistinct beaks and thickened bodies.

Dolphins are highly intelligent creatures, their brain size is larger in proportion to their body weight than the human brain and their intelligence is being seen everyday. They live in close-knit social groups called "pods," and have a highly-developed communication system including names or "signature whistles" made by high-pitched musical notes called clicks of 300 sounds per second.

Dolphins can live up to 50 years and can grow up to 13 feet in length and weigh up to 450 pounds. They can stay submerged for up to 15 minutes and dive to 1000 feet. Dolphins can swim with sustained speeds of 20 mph ...burst speeds of over 25 mph. It appears that they are having fun when they sail along side a boat and perform their majestic jumps and flips. In many areas of the world, people swim with dolphins everyday teaching us about living a full and joyful life!