Dolphin Quick Facts

Dolphin Quick Facts
By Maria Miller

Dolphins are marine mammals found in all the world's oceans, relatives to whales and porpoises. River dolphins live in freshwater rivers and lakes. They are intelligent and playful creatures and friendly to humans.

Dolphins have a sleek body shape, which helps them to be good swimmers. They have long snouts, a row of sharp teeth, and a blowhole for breathing on top of the head. They feed on fish, squid, and other small marine life.

Feeding dolphins at SeaWorld, OrlandoDolphins are social animals, and usually live and hunt in groups. They communicate with each other with sounds such as whistles, screeches, and clicks. Dolphins are often friendly to humans, riding on waves produced by boats, aiding lost swimmers, and adapting to life in captivity performing tricks and jumps.

There are at least 40 different species of dolphins. The one most commonly used in amusement parks and performances is bottlenose dolphin, which has a 'built-in' smile formed by the curvature of its mouth. The killer whale, or orca, is the largest member of dolphin family. Physical features

Dolphins have a sleek body shape, so as to offer the least resistance for swimming. The two flippers located underside help the dolphin steer its course. The bones in these flippers resemble human hand! The tail with flukes provides the main swimming force.

As mammals, dolphins have to breathe air. They do so through a single blowhole on the top of the head. It has a muscular plug to keep water out of the lungs while diving. The head has a long snout. Dolphins have a long row of conical teeth that are used for catching and tearing prey - not for chewing.