When you embark on one of our unforgettable Gulf Coast tours with A Boat Day, it’s highly likely that you’ll spot dolphins at some point during your cruise. Today, we’re diving into some fun facts about dolphins that you probably didn’t know before, because these friendly and intelligent creatures are a highlight of any boat trip in Clearwater!
25 Fun Facts About Dolphins
1. Dolphins have sex for fun.
2. They are really smart. They are mammals and can recognize themselves in the mirror.
3. They are extremely social creatures and they live and travel in groups called pods.
4. They have the longest memory in the animal kingdom.
5. They recognize the whistles of their mates.
6. They can see with sound “Echoloation” and can sense electromagnetic signals from any living creature (Electroreception). They locate fish to eat by both methods.
7. They love to play with Puffer-Fish.
8. Bottlenose dolphins breathe air and can hold their breath for 12 minutes.
9. They can dive down to 1,800 feet below the surface.
10. They can heal their wounds quickly without leaving scars.
11. They are part of the family of whales that includes Orcas and Pilot whales, and they are related to porpoises which can be distinguished by their rounded heads and lack of the “bottle” nose we see on a dolphin.
12. They have one natural enemy, the shark. Luckily they can kill a shark by ramming it with their noses.
13. They are carnivores (meat eaters) and eat about 33 pounds of fish, octopus, and squid per day.
14. They eat through their mouth and breathe air through their blowhole.
15. They sleep at the top of the water so the blowhole is not covered, and they switch off one side of the brain for sleep and keep the other side of the brain “on” so they keep breathing and stay alert.
16. They have about 100 teeth and only use them to catch the fish, not chew them. They don’t have jaw muscles.
17. They have excellent eyesight and hearing.
18. They can swim up to 25 miles per hour.
19. They can live into their 50’s.
20. An adult bottlenose dolphin weighs between 300 and 500 pounds and are 6 – 12 feet long.
21. Dolphins is the plural form of Dolphin.
22. Baby dolphins (calves) are born tail first.
23. They don’t drink the water they swim in. They get water from the foods they eat.
24. They spend most of their lives holding their breaths.
25. It is illegal to touch or feed wild dolphins in U.S. waters.