The most interesting thing about dolphins. Dolphins - interesting facts for children and adults. The number of individuals of the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin

Dolphins are amazing ocean animals that are distinguished by their friendly disposition and developed intelligence. Dolphins are considered to be the favorite human mammals, which can be seen in aquariums and dolphinariums. Even if a person has never seen him live, the animal evokes a feeling of tenderness and delight. But not everyone knows some facts about dolphins that surprise and shock.

Common and numerous species of dolphins is the common dolphin. Interesting facts about the common dolphin include cruising speed - 50 km / h, 43% fat content of mother's milk, submersion under water for 60 km, tameability in captivity.

10 facts about dolphins from history

Dolphins are amazing animals, the first mention of which came to us from Ancient Rome and Greece. Interesting facts about dolphins that you can learn from our article will help you trace the attitude of people towards animals in antiquity.

  • In ancient Greece, killing a dolphin was equated with the most cruel crime, which was punishable by death.
  • In the treatises of the philosophers Pliny, moral nature, friendship and the ability to sympathize are attributed to dolphins.

  • In ancient Rome, the dolphin was considered the conductor of the human soul to the "Isles of the Blessed".
  • Images and drawings of dolphins were found in Jordan, a country far from the seas and oceans.
  • In medieval Europe, the image of a dolphin was applied to the coats of arms of noble families.
  • Dolphins have always been considered the patrons of sailors and shipping.

  • In the myths and legends of Ancient Greece, there are more than a hundred references to dolphins.
  • In the 60s, dolphins were trained in the United States to strengthen the defense of water borders.
  • In 1967, the first Soviet oceanarium was opened in Sevastopol, in which 50 bottlenose dolphins lived.
  • Dolphin and Whale Day falls on July 23rd.

For hundreds of years, people have closely interacted with them, tamed, trained them, learning new details about animals. Dolphins have become an integral part of our culture.


In the distant past, dolphins looked very different. Although they look like fish, they are not. Scientists are inclined to believe that dolphins are of terrestrial origin. In ancient times, they resembled wolves or dogs with the only feature - 5 hoof-shaped toes on each foot. This explains the presence of hair on the head and nose in some individuals.

Dolphins with nose hair are found in the Amazon River. The Greeks considered dolphins to be sacred fish. In ancient Greek myths and legends, the sun god founded an oracle at Delphi in the guise of a dolphin.


Ancient Egyptian fresco "Dolphins"

Images of dolphins have been found in Egyptian pyramids and Roman mummy burials. A drawing depicting a mammal was found in the hands of the mummy. The Romans believed that the dolphin provided the deceased person with a safe path to the afterlife. The dolphin is a symbol of piety, inner peace and friendship.

Adults and children enjoy learning about dolphins. No wonder they are associated with cute and friendly creatures, since in Greek "dolphin" means "bosom, womb." This name was given to the animal due to the fact that at birth a dolphin looks like a newborn baby. These smart animals are similar to humans in psycho-emotional, genetic terms.


Their habitat is not limited to the ocean, as there are also sea and river dolphins. There are 43 species of dolphins.

For every child, swimming with a dolphin will become a cherished desire. Kind and beautiful animals evoke joyful and positive emotions. But before you visit the dolphinarium, you should familiarize yourself with interesting facts about dolphins.

  • When a dolphin swims in circles, it watches with one eye to see if a predatory animal has crept up to it. After a while, he turns back and continues to swim in circles, observing the situation with the other eye. Dolphins are cautious, vigilant creatures.

  • Dolphins know how to sympathize with people and relatives. They live in packs and come to the aid of an animal in a dangerous situation. Dolphins help the weakened individuals from the flock to stay afloat by supporting them on the surface of the water. Dolphins often come to the aid of people drowning in the sea.
  • Every dolphin has a name. Like humans, every dolphin receives it at birth. Scientists conducted an experiment during which they found out that the same dolphin responded to the recorded whistle, while other relatives did not pay attention to the signal.
  • Dolphins recognize themselves in the mirror. If you put a mirror or an object with a mirror surface in front of it, then the dolphin will consider itself in reflection.
  • A flock of dolphins is divided by sex and age: bulls, cows and calves.
  • After birth, the baby dolphin has hairs on the skin of the body and head. After a while they fall out.

  • Dolphins do not develop high speed in the water. The maximum value reaches 30-35 km / h. On average, they swim at a speed of 5-12 km / h. The speed of movement depends on the size of the individual. For example, young males may swim quickly, checking the path ahead.
  • Dolphins are animals with fast regeneration. If a shark has bitten a dolphin, then the wound will heal in 2 weeks. Self-healing is an ability that is observed in several species of animals that live on earth.

  • A pink albino dolphin lives in Louisiana. He is the only representative with a similar anomaly in mammals of the cetacean order.
  • Dolphins know how to block pain. An injured individual does not differ in behavior from other fellow members of the pack. In a critical situation, dolphins block pain receptors.

  • Dolphins are like people. They amaze with developed intellectual abilities, live in packs and have a complex social structure.
  • Scientists didn't understand how dolphins sleep. They need air and must rise to the surface of the water every 5-8 minutes. Falling asleep in the sea without access to air, they will drown or be attacked by an insidious predator. Sleep in dolphins is different from rest in other animals. During sleep, dolphins rest only one hemisphere. This allows you to constantly monitor the situation and relax at the same time.

Bottlenose dolphin: interesting facts

The bottlenose dolphin differs from its fellow common dolphins in its intense coloration. The top of the animal is dark gray, and the bottom is white. They reach a length of 3 meters and weigh 200-400 kg. Individuals living in the cold waters of the ocean or seas are much larger than those living in warm waters. The bottlenose dolphin breathes oxygen and rises to the surface after it every 6-8 minutes.


Dolphin teeth differ in structure. They are designed not to chew food, but to capture it. Canonical teeth, which create a bottle-nosed muzzle, are able to capture 20-30 kg of food, the diet of which includes fish, squid, and shrimp. The life expectancy of bottlenose dolphins is 30-40 years.


Unusual facts about bottle-nosed dolphins include sharp eyesight, the inability to distinguish colors, holding the breath for up to 7-8 minutes, and the presence of a thick subcutaneous layer of fat. A thick layer of fat provides streamlining and buoyancy of the body. The bottlenose dolphin's pregnancy lasts 1 year. Calves - cubs are born 2.5 meters long. After birth, the calf, with the support of the mother, takes its first breath on the surface of the water. Calves accompany their mother for 4-5 years.

Bottlenose dolphins are intelligent and emotional mammals that feel joy, sadness, fatigue and other emotions that are inherent in humans. They make 17 sounds, 5 of which are available to other dolphin species, including pilot whales and common dolphins. 12 sounds are used only inside a flock of bottlenose dolphins. They quickly lend themselves to training and remember 15-20 words-commands that the trainer pronounces.

Dolphins are friendly to people and help them escape from drowning in the waters of the seas and oceans. There is often news in the news that a dolphin has saved a drowning sailor or surfer. Scientists have come to the conclusion that they are able to help a person and their fellows because of their emotionality and intelligence.


Scientists have proposed a theory that explains the compassion and help of a dolphin to a person. They consider a person similar to themselves. Echolocation, which dolphins use throughout their lives, helps them to see in humans a similar respiratory organ - the lungs. Developed intellectual abilities allow them to compare obvious facts: a creature with lungs swims under water and does not swim to the surface of the water, so it dies. Dolphins, seeing a creature with no signs of life, try to help by raising it to the surface of the water.


And not only people

But no less interesting facts about dolphins - animals from the order of cetaceans, also testify to the reverse side of their relationship to humans. There are many cases when a flock of dolphins carried away a drowning person to the open sea. This is due to the fact that a person for a dolphin is both a friend and an enemy, which carries a threat to the life of the animal. Dolphins become victims of smugglers. Dolphin subcutaneous fat is a substance that treats beriberi and is used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Dolphins have long been one of man's favorite ocean animals. They have high intelligence and a cheerful, friendly disposition. For most of us, dolphins are associated with funny acrobatic performances in the dolphinarium. However, some countries are seriously concerned about keeping dolphins in captivity and are even passing laws to protect them.

Why did dolphins deserve such respect among many peoples and become an integral part of human culture? Let's try to figure it out by studying interesting facts about these wonderful animals.

Dolphin in an aviary.

India has become the fourth country to ban the keeping of dolphins in captivity. Earlier similar measures were taken by Costa Rica, Hungary and Chile. The Indians call dolphins "a person or person of a different origin than homo sapiens." Accordingly, the "person" must have its own rights, and its exploitation for commercial purposes is unacceptable by law. Animal behavioral scientists (ethologists) say it is very difficult to define the line that separates human intelligence and emotions from the nature of dolphins.

The dolphin is the only mammal whose birth literally begins with the tail, and not with the head! Young dolphins stay with their mother for two or three years.

In nature, there are almost forty species of dolphins, their closest relatives are whales and sea cows. Dolphins evolved relatively recently - about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Most species of dolphins live in salt water, but there are also freshwater animals.

Adult dolphins reach sizes from 1.2 m in length and weight from 40 kg (river dolphin) to 9.5 m and 10 tons (killer whale). The brain is the largest organ in the dolphin's body. During sleep, part of the brain stays awake, allowing the dolphin to breathe while sleeping so as not to drown. The life of a dolphin is directly dependent on access to oxygen.

Dolphins have a weak sense of smell, but excellent eyesight and absolutely unique hearing. By emitting powerful sound impulses, they are capable of echolocation, which allows them to perfectly navigate in the water, find each other and get food.

Dolphins can swim at speeds up to 25 miles per hour for long periods of time. This is about three times faster than the world's fastest swimmers.

They also love to do ... surfing! For example, surfer dolphins can often be observed off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands.

The history of human-dolphin interaction begins from the moment of the first mention of these animals. It has recently been found that the body language of dolphins largely follows the rules of human verbal communication. Communication with dolphins has a positive effect on the human body, especially on the child's psyche. British experts came to this conclusion back in 1978. Since that time, the development of "dolphin therapy" began. Now it is used to treat many physical and mental diseases, including autism. Swimming with dolphins relieves chronic pain, improves immunity and even helps children develop speech.

A dolphin and a pregnant woman off the coast of Ixtapa, Mexico. Ixtapa, MexicoPicture: CATERS

An absolutely unique feature of dolphins is that they can "look inside" a person, like an ultrasound device: for example, they quickly determine the pregnancy of a woman. The feeling of a "new life" is often very emotionally exciting for dolphins, they react violently and joyfully to pregnant women. As a rule, pregnant women are not allowed to swim in the enclosures (although this may be the best time to socialize), so as not to take away the attention of animals from other visitors and avoid an involuntary "emotional attack" on the unborn baby.

A touching example of human care for animals: the shelter feeds a 10-day-old dolphin who has lost her mother.

He already has a best friend - a penguin.

Dolphins easily and friendly communicate with other animals, and they reciprocate.

Dolphins study a tiger cub at a safari park in Ginseng, China.

Incredibly romantic fact from the "private" life of dolphins - ethologists studying Amazon dolphins have discovered that males give gifts to potential mates. So, what gift is a female dolphin waiting for to consider a male as a candidate for procreation? Of course, a bouquet of river algae!

Due to their graceful beauty, dolphins have become popular models for photographers from all over the world. Let's see if looking at amazing photos with these animals also has an effect akin to "dolphin therapy"?

Liked? Do you want to be aware of updates? Subscribe to our

The dolphin is a representative of the suborder of toothed whales, the order of cetaceans, the dolphin family (Delphinidae). The graceful body of the dolphin has a spindle-shaped streamlined shape, which allows these mammals to quickly cut through the water surface. The speed of the dolphin reaches 50 km/h.

Humans and Dolphins

People have known about the extraordinary mind and quick wit of dolphins for a long time. These charming animals rescue people from ships in distress, preventing them from drowning. You could even say that dolphins are the smartest animals on the planet. Many trainers believe that the intelligence of dolphins can be equated to a human, these animals behave so intelligently and unusually.

There is a joke about dolphins, which says that if a person had not overtaken the dolphins and had not climbed down from the tree before, they would come out of the water and now would be the kings of nature, replacing us.

Dolphin is smart, kind, beautiful, he is an excellent student, analyzes, remembers.

Dolphins are directly related to the formidable inhabitants of the oceans, killer whales and whales. There are about 50 species of dolphins. These include the porpoise, black dolphin, gray dolphin, white-faced dolphin, Atlantic white-sided dolphin.

The most popular is the bottlenose dolphin (large dolphin), which people basically have in mind when talking about meetings with representatives of this species. They are well studied and tamed. Bottlenose dolphins are filmed in films, they participate in programs for the rehabilitation of children suffering from various neurological ailments.

Dolphin - description and photos. What does a dolphin look like?

A dolphin is not a fish, but a mammal. Common to all species is an elongated streamlined body, which is crowned by a small dolphin head with a beak-shaped mouth. Each jaw contains 80-100 small conical teeth. The dolphin's teeth are slightly tilted inwards. The transition between the muzzle and the frontal part is well defined. Almost all members of the dolphin class have a prominent dorsal fin. The skin is supple and smooth to the touch. The length of the dolphin can reach 4.5 meters depending on the species.

Dolphins in the water move very easily, they practically do not feel its resistance due to special fatty secretions on the skin that facilitate gliding. Interestingly, the dolphin's skin is quickly erased from the friction of water. Therefore, in the deep skin layers they have a significant supply of regenerating cells. The dolphin constantly sheds, changing up to 25 layers of skin per day!

The eyes of dolphins are small, vision is poor. This is due to the fact that animals practically do not use them for hunting. The nostrils are transformed into a blowhole located on the crown of the head.

How do dolphins breathe?

Whales and dolphins are related and can stay under water for a long time without surfacing. The drawbar is closed during such periods. But, like other cetaceans, dolphins still need air underwater and periodically rise to the surface to breathe.

Do dolphins have ears?

Dolphins have no ears. But that doesn't mean they don't have hearing. There is! True, it functions differently from other mammals. Sounds are perceived by the inner ear, and the air cushions located in the frontal part serve as resonators. But these animals are fluent in echolocation. They accurately determine the location and dimensions of the object by the reflected sound, and by the wavelength - the distance to it.

How Do Dolphins Sleep?

Dolphins also have another interesting physiological feature: they never sleep. Animals hang in the water column, periodically rising to the surface for breathing. During rest, they are able to alternately turn off either the left or right hemisphere of the brain, that is, only one half of the dolphin's brain sleeps, while the other is awake.

Where do dolphins live?

The habitat of the dolphin is exclusively water bodies. The dolphin lives in almost all places on our planet, with the exception of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Dolphins live in the sea, in the ocean, as well as in large freshwater rivers (Amazonian river dolphin). These mammals love space and move freely over long distances.

Dolphin language

Dolphins are animals social, live in packs, in which there can be from 10 to 100 (sometimes more) individuals, fighting off enemies with common efforts. Inside the pack, there is practically no competition or fights between them; fellow tribesmen coexist peacefully with each other. Dolphins communicate using sounds and signals. Dolphin language extraordinarily varied. The "talk" of these mammals includes clicking, whistling, barking, and chirping. The dolphin voice spectrum extends from the lowest frequencies to ultrasonic. Moreover, they can combine simple sounds into words and sentences, passing information to each other.

What do dolphins eat?

The diet of dolphins includes only fish, preference is given to sardines and anchovies. The method of hunting used by animals is also interesting. A flock of dolphins finds a school of fish and with special sounds forces it to huddle into a dense group. As a result of such hunting, most of the school becomes the prey of dolphins. This feature is often used by gulls, attacking frightened fish from the air. There are known facts when dolphins helped fishermen by driving a joint to them in the net.

Sharks and dolphins

An interesting fact is that sharks and dolphins live in symbiosis. They often hunt together without showing any aggression towards each other.

Dolphin species

There are 17 genera in the dolphin family. The most interesting varieties of dolphins:

  • White-bellied dolphin (black dolphin, Chilean dolphin) ( Cephalorhynchus eutropia)

lives exclusively on the coast of Chile. An animal with a rather modest size - the length of the stocky and rather thick body of this cetacean does not exceed 170 cm. The back and sides of the white-bellied dolphin are gray, while the throat, belly area and parts of the flippers adjacent to the body are absolutely white. The flippers and dorsal fin of the white-bellied dolphin are smaller than those of other dolphin species. This species is close to extinction, protected by the Chilean authorities.

  • Common dolphin (common dolphin) ( Delphinus delphis)

The length of a marine animal often reaches 2.4 meters, the weight of a dolphin varies between 60-80 kilograms. In the back area, an ordinary dolphin is painted dark blue or almost black, the belly is white, and a spectacular yellowish-gray stripe runs along the light sides. This species of dolphins lives in the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, feels at ease in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There is a common dolphin on the east coast of South America, along the coasts of New Zealand and South Africa, in the seas of Japan and Korea.


  • white-faced dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus albirostris)

a large representative of cetaceans with a body length reaching 3 meters and weighing up to 275 kg. A distinctive feature of the white-faced dolphin is a very light, sometimes snow-white muzzle. The habitat of this mammal includes the waters of the North Atlantic, the coast of Portugal and Turkey. The dolphin feeds on fish such as capelin, saffron cod, flounder, herring, cod, whiting, as well as molluscs and crustaceans.


  • Large-toothed dolphin ( Steno bredanensis)

The body length of this marine mammal is 2-2.6 meters, weight varies from 90 to 155 kg. The height of the dorsal fin is 18-28 cm. The color of the dolphin is dominated by gray, over which whitish spots are “scattered”. This species of dolphin is common off the coast of Brazil, in the Gulf of Mexico and California, lives in the warm waters of the Caribbean and Red Seas.


  • bottlenose dolphin (large dolphin or bottlenose dolphin) ( Tursiops truncatus)

The length of the animal can vary from 2.3 to 3.6 meters, and weight from 150 to 300 kg. The body color of the bottlenose dolphin depends on the habitat, but basically the species has a dark brown upper body and a grayish-white belly. Sometimes there is a weakly pronounced pattern in the form of fuzzy stripes or spots on the sides. The bottlenose dolphin lives in the Mediterranean, Red, Baltic and Black Seas, and is often found in the Pacific Ocean along the coasts of Japan, Argentina and New Zealand.


  • Broad-faced dolphin (beakless dolphin) ( Peponocephala electra)

distributed in the waters of countries with a tropical climate, especially mass populations live along the coast of the Hawaiian Islands. The torpedo-shaped, light gray body of the animal is crowned with a cone-shaped dark gray head. The length of a mammal often reaches 3 meters, and an adult individual weighs more than 200 kg.

  • Chinese dolphin ( sousa chinensis)

This representative of the genus of humpback dolphins lives in the waters along the coast of Southeast Asia, but migrates during the breeding season, therefore it is found in bays, quiet sea lagoons and even rivers washing Australia and the countries of South Africa. The length of the animal can be 2-3.5 meters with a weight of 150-230 kg. Surprisingly, although dolphins are born absolutely black, as they grow, the body color changes first to light gray, with slightly pinkish spots, and adults become almost white. The Chinese dolphin feeds on fish and shellfish.


  • Irrawaddy dolphin ( Orcaella brevirostris)

A distinctive feature of this species of dolphins is the complete absence of a beak on the muzzle and a flexible neck, which received mobility due to several skin and muscle folds behind the head. The color of the body of the Irrawaddy dolphin can be either light gray with a blue tint or dark gray, while the belly of the animal is always a tone lighter. In length, this aquatic mammal reaches 1.5-2.8 meters and weighs 115-145 kg. The dolphin's habitat covers the waters of the warm Indian Ocean, from the Bay of Bengal to the northern coast of Australia.

  • Cruciform Dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus cruciger)

lives exclusively in the waters of the Antarctic and subantarctic. The color of the dolphin is black and white, less often - dark gray. A spectacular white marking, covering the sides of the mammal, stretches to its muzzle, framing the eye area. The second mark runs along the back of the body, intersecting with the first and forming an hourglass pattern. An adult cruciform dolphin has a body length of about 2 meters in length, the weight of a dolphin varies between 90-120 kilograms.


  • Killer whale (killer whale) ( Orcinus orca)

a mammal that belongs to the dolphin family, a genus of killer whales. The male killer whale has a length of about 10 meters and a weight of around 8 tons. Females are smaller: their length reaches 8.7 meters. Pectoral flippers of killer whales have a wide oval shape. Killer whale teeth are quite long - up to 13 cm in length. The sides and back of the mammal are black, the throat is white, and there is a white stripe on the belly. There are white spots above the eyes. Sometimes completely black or white individuals are found in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The killer whale lives in all waters of the oceans, except for the Sea of ​​Azov, the Black Sea, the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea.

Dolphin breeding, baby dolphins

Dolphins do not have a pronounced mating season. Reproduction occurs at any time of the year. Mates with females, as a rule, the leader of the pack. Pregnancy lasts approximately 18 weeks and is quite difficult. The female dolphin becomes clumsy, loses the ability to move quickly and often becomes the prey of enemies. The dolphin brings 1 cub about once every 2 years. Small dolphins about 50-60 centimeters long are born right afloat, fully capable and able to follow their mother from the first minutes.

baby dolphins feed on mother's milk, eat frequently and grow rapidly. Feeding stops by one and a half years, when the dolphin begins to feed on fish on its own.

The upbringing and education of babies is carried out exclusively by females. Male dolphins are not caring fathers.

  • The level of development of dolphins is extremely high, so they devote a lot of time not only to getting food, but also to communication, games and even sex. These are perhaps the only animals (except humans, of course) whose sexual relations go beyond procreation. These mammals play with great pleasure: dolphins jump out of the water for several meters, just hovering for a moment or making complex figures in the air, pirouettes, screws. Playing dolphins very often attract the attention of ship passengers.
  • Unlike fish, the dolphin swings its tail in an up/down direction.
  • In the mouth of a sexually mature dolphin, there are 210 sharp teeth, while they play a role only in capturing food, but dolphins swallow their prey without chewing, since they do not have a chewing reflex.
  • Dolphins don't sleep! Rather, only one hemisphere of the brain sleeps in them, while the second is awake and intuitively pushes the dolphin to the surface of the water surface to take another breath.
  • It is currently forbidden to hunt these interesting and charming animals. Despite all conservation measures, the number of dolphins is declining, and some of them are almost extinct. Now many water parks are working on breeding endangered species, as well as studying and training dolphins.

Beautiful bottlenose dolphins are the most common type of this mammal. They belong to cetaceans, and therefore dolphins can be safely called small whales or large bottlenose dolphins. Within the species, they are also divided into subspecies: in addition to the large one, there is an Australian, Indian bottlenose dolphin.

Description of appearance and features

The bottlenose dolphin belongs to the toothed whales, and this is due to the presence of 100-200 small teeth in the mouth. Dolphins use them to capture shellfish, small fish and crustaceans. The shape of all teeth is identical - they are conical. The specific appearance of the muzzle and skull has become the hallmark of bottlenose dolphins:

  • the head is small, but in the skull there is a brain weighing up to 1.7 kg, which is 300 g more than in humans;
  • it is noteworthy that the convolutions in the dolphin's head are located 2 times denser;
  • the muzzle of mammals is elongated, with a rounded nose, the forehead hangs over the muzzle;
  • at the top of the head are slits for breathing.
Floating flock of bottlenose dolphins

The body of a dolphin reaches 3.5 m in length, in the smallest adult representatives of bottlenose dolphins - 2 m. Female individuals are usually shorter by 15-20 cm. An adult bottlenose dolphin weighs 300 kg.

The dolphin is a flexible and mobile animal due to the presence of 7 cervical vertebrae, 5 of which are fused. The bottlenose dolphin does not have intricate skin tones. Usually the belly of carcasses is white or beige, and the upper part is dark gray or brown.

The fins of the bottlenose dolphin are located on the back, tail and chest. In aquatic mammals, they are responsible for protection against overheating and extreme cold. If the integrity of several fins is broken, the dolphin may die. Fins are also used for defense and attack.

One of the most exciting features of bottlenose dolphins is the sounds they make when communicating. Remotely, the signals are comparable to human speech. Scientists who study the language of dolphins highlight the features of speech: there is a syllable and a phrase, paragraphs, context, and dialects.

bottlenose dolphin lifestyle

Bottlenose dolphins live in many parts of the world, prefer warm waters, but are found in the Norwegian, Red Sea, near Greenland, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea, near Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.

Dolphins have a sedentary lifestyle, but they can roam in search of food. Flocks of dolphins are divided into small groups by age. Each group has a function. However, mammals tend to be solitary for unknown reasons. Sometimes individuals leave the flock for a while, and then return. In captivity, the hierarchy of dolphins is tightened. Senior males of large size become leaders.

7000 Black Sea mammals live in the Black Sea. However, their number is constantly decreasing due to gas and oil production, shipping, and poachers.

Life span and reproduction

Bottlenose dolphins begin to breed in spring and summer. Females reach the age of 5 years, and males - 8. Dolphins are polygamous animals, they can interbreed with other varieties of cetaceans. During the mating season, which lasts from 3 days to 3-4 weeks, dolphins swim in a special position, often rub their heads against each other and make mating sounds. Pregnancy lasts 11-12 months, and when the baby appears, the flock rejoices and welcomes him. The newborn, along with the mother, is accompanied by other females to the first breath on the surface.

For 18 months, the young bottlenose dolphin feeds on mother's milk. By the way, the fat content of the product is noticeably higher than cow's. 4 months after birth, the cub tries another food for the first time. Dolphins live on average up to 40 years, and also suffer from some human diseases (strokes, heart attacks).

Character of bottlenose dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins are as trainable as dogs, show incredible tricks and are friendly to humans in captivity. Even in their natural environment, they show interest in people and often make contact. Bottlenose dolphins are characterized by a strong attachment to humans. If you release a dolphin that has lived in the dolphinarium for a long time, it will not swim far from this place. The trainability of bottlenose dolphins made them in demand in the navy. The military uses them as water "dogs": video surveillance and photography, delivery of explosives.


Bottlenose dolphins are easy to train

Since 1966, the catch of bottlenose dolphins in Black Sea prohibited on the territory of Russia. The Black Sea bottlenose dolphin is in the International Red Book. But each year, dozens of dolphins are killed in poaching nets, and others die from approaching tankers and other industrial ships.

An essay-description of a dolphin and information about dolphins for children will help prepare for the lesson.

Description of a dolphin for children

If you asked me what kind of smart animal I know, then I would certainly name a dolphin. After all, few people know that a dolphin is not a fish at all, but a mammal. Therefore, this "wonder of nature" is one of the most mysterious in the water empire and an extremely intelligent creature.

Very often, dolphins are called the sirens of the sea. All this is due to the wide amplitude of sounds. This is how animals recognize each other and gather in flocks. The peculiarity is that they are capable of self-sacrifice. And they will fight for their relative to the last.

Dolphins have an interesting structure, because they are close to human in size. The color of the skin is more often than series. Their naked, strong and muscular body with developed fins allows them to move quickly in the water. The transition between the nasal and frontal parts is quite well expressed. Although there is no nose as such, because it has grown together into one nostril, this does not prevent them from swimming at depth. Dolphin eyes are tiny, like beads. Therefore, they perceive the world around them through sounds.

For some reason, these brave animals fell in love with a person very much. This can be perfectly seen in the dolphinariums. They quickly jump out of the water and happily greet the audience. They are perfectly trainable.

Dolphins have long been a symbol of the sea. There are many legends about them. They rescue those who ask for help at sea. As well as dolphins - invaluable companions of sailors, escort them on distant sea voyages.

Composition on the topic “My favorite animal is a dolphin”

My favorite animal is the dolphin. I think they are especially graceful, beautiful. Dolphins live in the seas and oceans. When you watch a movie, they often show how dolphins save people. I would love to ride a dolphin. You can say this is my dream. I really like going to the dolphinarium, especially stroking cute dolphins on their wet bodies. Dolphins also make very funny sounds, similar to a child who screams with joy when they play with him.

Essay about dolphins

Dolphins are one of the most mysterious animals on our planet.
The intelligence of these marine inhabitants is considered so high that they are called "people of the sea." Scientists say that dolphins are smarter and smarter than all other animals.
Dolphins live in the water, but they are not fish, but mammals from the order of cetaceans. That is, they need air - they breathe with lungs, not gills. People can always see the faces of dolphins on the surface of the sea, because dolphins can stay under water for an average of 3-5 minutes.

Dolphins live in packs. They always help each other and never leave each other in trouble. These highly developed marine animals are very similar to humans, they tend to self-sacrifice. If they hear sounds from the shore, similar to a dolphin's cry for help, they are thrown onto land, while dying.

Dolphin is the embodiment of friendliness and kindness.
Dolphins can make about ten different sounds. The hearing of dolphins is unique and operates on the principle of a sonar. By reflected sounds, dolphins can determine the range of an object, its size, shape. The dolphin orients itself in the space around it much more by hearing than by sight.

A dolphin can eat up to 30 kilograms of live fish per day.
Dolphins live for about 30 years.

Baby dolphins are born about once every two years. At this time, the dolphin is trying to jump high so that the cub can take its first breath.
Dolphins are very touching parents who take care of their cubs for about five years. And even reaching puberty, the cub still remains strongly attached to the mother, and tries to follow her everywhere.