Dolphins are mammals that belong to the order Cetaceans and live in water. They are very similar in appearance to fish, but they are not fish. There are quite a few species of dolphins. Each species of dolphin differs more in external features than in its way of life. In total, there are about 40 species of dolphins. There are also river dolphins.
Dolphins are famous for their high level of intelligence and good attitude towards people. There are many cases when dolphins saved human lives. They also help treat psychological diseases. Very intelligent and kind animals of our planet.
Family: Dolphinidae
Class: Mammals
Order: Cetaceans
Type: Chordata
Kingdom: Animals
Domain: Eukaryotes
Dolphin - description and photographs. What does a dolphin look like?
Some people mistakenly believe that dolphins are fish. In fact, they belong to the class of mammals and are easily recognized by their characteristic appearance. They have an elongated body, starting with an elongated head and ending with a tail. There is a long fin at the top of the body.
Upper fin of a dolphin
There are 80-100 teeth on the upper and lower jaws, slightly directed inward. The eyes are located at the level of the corners of the mouth, and have poor vision, since for dolphins this organ of touch does not play an important role even during hunting.
The body is covered with fatty enzymes that ensure easy gliding in water.
Thanks to this, they swim without encountering resistance, which allows them to develop greater speed. However, this feature leads to the fact that the dolphin's skin is constantly abraded and washed off with water. Because of this, the body is forced to continuously regenerate the upper layer of the body, based on internal reserves. Interesting fact : dolphins shed so quickly that they can completely renew the top layer of skin in an hour.
Thus, it can shed up to 24 times per day. In length, various types of these creatures can grow up to 4.5-5 meters, although most of their representatives are comparable in size to human dimensions. In color, different types are gray, blue, black and with different color pigments.
Human relationship with dolphins
Dolphins play an important role in human culture. They are mentioned in Greek mythology. Dolphins were important to the Minoans, according to artistic evidence from the ruined palace at Knossos. In Hindu mythology, the dolphin is associated with Ganga, the deity of the Ganges River.
But people not only love these creatures, but also destroy them and cause suffering.
Drift net fishing and gill nets are unintentionally killing dolphins. In some parts of the world, such as Japan and the Faroe Islands, dolphins are traditionally considered food and people hunt them with harpoons.
How do dolphins breathe?
Upon a detailed examination of the mammal’s body, one immediately notices that it has no gills. If in many fish the head is disconnected from the body by a cut under which the respiratory organs are hidden, then in a dolphin it is connected to it as a single whole and has no pronounced boundaries. It can be assumed that because These creatures are mammals, they should not have gills, but they also do not have nostrils at the tip of their nose. This raises a logical question: how do dolphins breathe?
Dolphin blowhole located on the back of the head
On the crown of the animal there is a blowhole - a small hole that is tightly closed with a movable lid while it is under water. When the dolphin comes to the surface, it opens and air enters. The collected oxygen is enough for the mammal for a long time, thanks to which it can swim long distances underwater. However, sooner or later he will need to surface to take another breath.
Do dolphins have ears?
There are no hearing organs on the dolphin's head, just like most underwater inhabitants. But they have a highly developed inner ear, reinforced by air cushions located in the upper part of the head. This feature of the body structure works as an accurate echolocator.
Dolphins are sensitive to sound vibrations emitted by objects underwater. Thanks to them, the source of the sound is determined with incredible accuracy, and its dimensions are also recognized. They also subtly sense the wavelength that creatures and objects send in their direction. Thanks to this parameter, they can calculate the distance to the object.
Comparison of echolocation of a bat, dolphin and submarine
A reliable echolocator serves as an excellent replacement for poor eyesight. While underwater, a dolphin does not need to look around and see its surroundings. It is enough for him to feel the vibrations in the water to form a correct idea of the surroundings in his head.
How do dolphins sleep?
Considering that dolphins regularly need to surface to get air, they also cannot spend a lot of time on the surface, because... their delicate skin quickly dries out and becomes damaged. Things with sleep for dolphins are very interesting.
Dolphins do not sleep at all! However, every creature on Earth needs rest, so dolphins also have a period during which they rest. Their body is designed in such a way that it can turn off one of the hemispheres of the brain. Thus, while the left one is working, the right one is in hibernation, then everything happens exactly the opposite. This allows the creature to rest, gain strength, but at the same time carry out simple actions such as swimming and rising to the surface to obtain oxygen.
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Nutrition
The main diet of Maui dolphins consists of small fish, squid, flounder and cod. They spend most of their time diving to find fish on the seabed. Sometimes they find food at medium depths or even almost at the surface.
The smallest dolphins in the world - Hector's dolphins
How do dolphins drink?
Mammals require regular fluid intake, but finding fresh water in the middle of the seas and oceans is quite difficult. Dolphins solve this problem with the help of food present in their diet. Since they cannot drink sea water, the source of liquid is plankton, squid and other local inhabitants, which are approximately 80% water, which they themselves filter.
Plankton is one of the sources of water for dolphins
Since dolphins do not have sweat glands, moisture is slowly removed from the body, which allows it to be replenished less frequently. Once having eaten squid, the animal can easily store water reserves for several days until it can be replenished again.
Female dolphins have an orgasm
The sex life of female dolphins is happier than that of women. On average, of course.
Scientists who communicate closely with dolphins assure: these so-called intellectuals of the sea are much more sexually preoccupied than we are. Male dolphins “cover” all the females that they can reach, as they say. They “hide” for the sake of the process, and not for the purpose of continuing the family line. During breaks, they engage in masturbation, masturbating with the help of objects found at the bottom and other “improvised means”, enter into homosexual relationships, and rape hesitant relatives - both males and females. In a word, they behave incontinently in search of sexual pleasure.
What about female dolphins? Especially those that are given “out of love”? Do they like sex? Patricia Brennan and Dara Orbach, biologists at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, believe they have found the answers to these questions. What was reported at the Conference on Experimental Biology, which was held in Florida (2019 Experimental Biology Meeting in Orlando, Florida). The portals Inside Science and Slate.fr briefly introduce the results obtained by the researchers.
Using an X-ray microscope (3-D X-ray imaging technique), Patricia and Dara studied the anatomical features of the genitals of female bottlenose dolphins or bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), as they are also called, dissecting a total of 12 individuals found dead on the coast of the United States.
Female biologists found clitorises in all females, which were essentially no different from their own. The beautiful dolphin half had them similar to those of the female half in both shape and structure. They consisted of erectile tissue and were covered by a network of blood vessels. That is, they swelled during the process of sexual arousal, which, presumably, female dolphins experienced. Otherwise, why would they need such intricate designs?
However, there were also differences. The clitoris of female dolphins is larger than the average female clitoris. And they look more developed. The most important thing: the human clitoris is located at some distance from the vagina. And the dolphin is located right at its entrance. As a result, when copulating with a male, the female always feels the movements of his penis directly through the clitoris. Which is very rare in the human world.
For dolphins, sex is a way to get pleasure; pregnancy is a side effect.
Direct stimulation of the most sensitive erogenous structures, female biologists believe, is simply bound to bring female dolphins to orgasm. Much more often than women. And then always.
Dolphins have lived on Earth for almost 13 million years. The same number of people have sex and enjoy it. Nature provided them with this option - clearly with the goal of stimulating intimate communication. I tested it with time, and then, when people showed up, I “installed” the option for them too. With minor changes. But why did she move the clitoris away from that very entrance - into the “grotto of pleasures,” as the Chinese call it? There must have been some meaning to this. But he hasn't been found yet.
AND AT THIS TIME
Why did the octopus grab onto the dolphin’s “manhood”?
Dolphins of the Ionian Sea (Ionian Dolphin Project) is the name of the project that scientists from the Tethys Research Institute are currently working on. They monitor a pod of bottlenose dolphins that live off the Greek island of Kalamos. They take photographs, capturing moments. One day, photographer Joan Gonzalvo, working with scientists, had his camera ready. And he was lucky: he took the rarest shots. According to colleagues and scientists, no one else in the world has anything like this.
As Gonzalvo told the authoritative magazine New Scientist, he saw a dolphin jumping out of the water. The photographer's attention was drawn to something clinging to the lower part of the cetacean. And without thinking for a long time, he took several pictures. Captured a dolphin in flight. And only then I noticed that an octopus had attached itself to him. But not to the stomach, as it might seem. The octopus grabbed with all its tentacles the dolphin's manhood, which in these mammals, as is known, reaches impressive sizes.
There are several hypotheses. According to one of them, the octopus was saved. Perhaps the dolphin wanted to eat him. This happens often. And the mollusk, hiding from the toothy mouth, found the safest place - the one that the dolphin could not reach. Which indicates the high intelligence of the one who grabbed it.
But it is possible that he deliberately exposed his manhood to the octopus. With the obscene intention of masturbating. Used as a sex toy.
Having enjoyed it, the dolphin shook off its “partner.” The photographer eventually saw his penis free.
Dolphin with a sex toy on the end;
Whatever they come up with.
REFERENCE "KOMSOPROLK"
It's not like people
In a calm state, the dolphin's penis is hidden in the so-called genital fold. It forms a loop inside the body, which is supported by the muscles that retract the penis. During sexual arousal, it moves out.
Obscene dolphins harass women. And they get excited at the same time. It’s as if they know that women are not much different from their counterparts.
How long do dolphins live - in the wild or in captivity?
Dolphins are considered long-lived. Possessing an unusual body structure and body characteristics that allow them to correctly distribute resources, they can live from 25 to 50 years. Moreover, this applies to most species, but there are also those who can compete with humans in terms of average life expectancy. For example, male killer whales live on average 55 years, and females live on average 85 years.
Killer whales are the longest-living dolphins
For dolphins in captivity, things are much worse. Individuals trapped in dolphinariums or other artificial reservoirs can survive only 10 years. This is due to unnatural environmental conditions, disrupted feeding cycles, limited space and simple stress to which the animal is exposed, due to which it cannot rest properly.
Interesting fact : the record holder for longevity in a confined space is Moby the dolphin. He lived for 58 years, and he spent only 10 in the wild. The remaining 48 years he spent in the dolphinarium.
Nowadays, humanity is actively raising questions regarding the keeping of dolphins in captivity. It is not difficult to guess that in the seas and oceans mammals could live several times longer than in captivity. Because of this, new artificial reservoirs are being designed to improve the habitat for dolphins and make it more natural. Environmental companies are also developing special programs and equipment to track dolphins in the wild and help them if necessary.
Caring for offspring
So we found out how dolphins reproduce. What happens after the baby is born? During the first year of life, the young individual tries to stay close to its mother at all times. The cub swims around the female, moving only a few meters away from her. If the baby moves away a considerable distance, this is followed by punishment from the mother.
Over time, the baby requires less and less milk. After about a year and a half, he completely switches to eating fish, obtaining food without outside help. The baby acquires such skills as a result of group communication and following the behavior of adults.
As for the care of males, among dolphins you will not find fathers who are attentive to the needs of their young. All children receive education from female representatives. Moreover, the cub receives attention not only from its own mothers, but also from “grandmothers” and “aunts.” In turn, the males form a separate male group. They resume interest in females only at the onset of the next mating season.
Where do dolphins live?
Dolphins live in bodies of water located all over the planet, some are even found in Arctic waters. Most species live in seas and oceans, but there are certain types that prefer freshwater rivers. These include the Amazonian dolphin.
Dolphins live in schools
Mammals try to choose places where there are enough small fish, since an adult requires about 30 kg of food per day to keep the body fully functional and replenish nutrients.
Reptiles
In Lancashire, conservation efforts have helped create a new home for the UK's very rare sand lizards. They have been spotted in the Fylde sand dunes, where they are breeding for the first time since the 1960s.
The reintroduction of sand lizards is part of an ambitious conservation plan for the Fylde Dunes. The plan includes restoration of the natural landscape.
Restored dunes are now better able to support wildlife, but also provide protection from coastal flooding.
Today there are small populations of sand lizards in protected areas in Wales, Kent, Sussex, Devon, Cornwall and now Lancashire.
What do dolphins eat?
Most of the dolphins' diet is fish, with particular preference given to anchovies and sardines. Animals try to hunt in a pack to make it easier to catch prey. Realizing from the vibrations of the waves that there is a large school of small fish nearby, the dolphins swim up to it from different directions and begin to make hostile sounds.
Sardines are the favorite delicacy of dolphins
The prey gets scared and flocks together, and the dolphins open their mouths with pleasure, literally crashing into a dense layer of fish.
Interesting fact : there have been cases when dolphins drove small fish into fishing nets in this way. Whether they did this on purpose or not remains a mystery.
Bluefin tuna
During the summer and fall, unusual numbers of Atlantic bluefin tuna have also been spotted along the entire south coast.
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These powerful fish, up to 10 feet (3 meters) long, can reach speeds of more than 40 mph (64 km/h) while chasing schools of mackerel, sardines and herring.
Bluefin tuna can live up to 40 years and weigh more than 250 kg (about the same as three people). This year it has been spotted from Cornwall and Devon in the west as far as Folkestone in Kent.
In some places, bluefin tuna were accompanied by porpoises, mink and dolphins.
Dolphin behavior
Since dolphins are on a par with apes in terms of intelligence, their behavior is little more than a set of instincts. Mammals live in packs and constantly communicate with each other. A dolphin can make sounds of various intonations, conveying the necessary information to its relatives. For example, he warns of danger, asks you to follow him, etc. If desired, the creature can even “speak” entire sentences, emitting a sequence of sounds.
School of dolphins
Dolphins are known for their peaceful nature. They never conflict with their own kind, always making a compromise. Often the pack is ruled by a leader - the most experienced representative of the species, responsible for order.
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Parents and offspring
Female dolphins are very caring, like all mothers, they spend all their time caring for their children and protecting them.
At first, the dolphin cubs do not swim far from their mother, they swim next to her, and never lag behind, no matter how fast the mother swims. They receive punishments for disobedience; such vigilance protects the kids from attacks from the outside.
When a small dolphin swims in circles at high speed near the surface of the water, it means he is lost.
Other females also take care of the newborn, protecting it from aggressive males. If there is an alarm, the entire group of dolphins gathers in a circle, and the little heir and his mother are hidden in the middle.
Dolphins are large, friendly creatures with a cheerful disposition and fairly highly developed intelligence. It's impossible not to love them!
Why do dolphins wash ashore?
Cases of dolphins washing ashore are regularly recorded around the world. This behavior may be due to several reasons.
With the onset of old age, the echolocation ability of mammals is impaired. Because of this, they are less oriented in space and can accidentally swim into shallow water. The closer the bottom gets to the dolphin, the harder it is for him to navigate. Because of this, he gradually swims ashore. Since animals swim in schools, relatives may try to help the victim, but in the end they will also end up on the shore.
People try to help stranded dolphins
If a ship is passing near the dolphins, transmitting various signals, the latter can disorient the animal and force it to swim in an unknown direction until it ends up on land. Water pollution has a similar effect: chemicals and garbage impair dolphins' skills.
Interaction with other inhabitants can also lead to beaching. While chasing prey or swimming away from a predator, the dolphin forgets itself and swims into shallow water.
Natural enemies of the dolphin
Since dolphins can grow up to 4 m in length, there are not many creatures underwater that can compete with them in physical power. Perhaps sharks are one of the few inhabitants that can enter into an equal battle with them, and thanks to their large teeth, emerge victorious.
Sharks swam to a school of fish driven by dolphins
Also for dolphins, the enemy is their elders - killer whales. Possessing large dimensions, they are able to displace flocks of mammals from their habitable places and take away food.
Unfortunately, humans can also be considered an enemy of dolphins, although they are unaware of it. People continuously pollute water bodies, worsening living conditions. Dolphins often get caught by boat propellers and mistakenly eat trash thrown into the water. And regular catching of animals for artificial reservoirs shortens their lifespan several times.
Dolphin species
There are 17 main species of dolphins living on Earth, divided into subgroups. They are also divided according to the types of reservoirs where they can be found: sea, lake, etc. The main types of mammals include the following.
White-bellied dolphin
The white-bellied dolphin
lives in the vicinity of Chile and is protected by local authorities because it is on the verge of extinction. Distinctive features are a white belly, clearly visible against the background of the overall gray carcass, as well as small size: adult individuals grow up to 1.8 m in length. White-sided dolphin. Lives in many seas and oceans. It grows up to 2.5 m and weighs on average 70 kg. The animal has a three-color color: black top, yellowish sides and white bottom.
White-faced dolphin
White-faced dolphin
Despite the fact that they can grow up to only 3 m, representatives of this species weigh as much as 250-300 kg. They live in the waters of Turkey, the North Atlantic and Portugal. Most species of small fish encountered along the way are eaten. They can also feed on crustaceans. The main distinguishing feature is the white head, while the body is black.
Large-toothed dolphin
Large-toothed dolphin
The main characteristic of representatives of the species is white spots on the gray body and rather large teeth. Found in the bays of North America and the Caribbean Sea.
bottlenose dolphin
The bottlenose dolphin takes part in a circus performance
. It is a large species, the size of individuals of which can reach 3.6 m. They have a brown color with a gray belly. They live in many seas and are also found in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Often used by people for demonstration in artificial ponds and water therapy.
Broad-faced dolphin
The broad-snouted dolphin
species prefers a tropical climate, which is why it is often found near the Hawaiian Islands. A distinctive feature is a wide head with a large forehead, which ends at the same level with the mouth.
Chinese dolphin
Chinese dolphin
Representatives of this species change the color of their body throughout their lives. They are born black, but gradually, as they molt, the body becomes gray. Closer to adulthood, their skin completely turns white, acquiring a pink tint. In addition to everything, mammals have a large hump on their backs, which does not interfere with their ability to swim. The animals live exclusively in Asian waters, but during the breeding season they can migrate towards Africa and Australia.
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Irrawaddy dolphin
Irrawaddy dolphin
They have a round head that lacks a beak. The body is gray with a blue tint. The upper fin is small and located far from the head, located closer to the tail. They prefer to choose warm waters with a tropical climate as their habitat.
Crossed dolphin
Crossed dolphin
One of the most beautiful species, having a black color with two large white spots in the shape of an hourglass. They prefer an Arctic climate, so they can only be found in the waters of Antarctica and Subantarctic. Adults grow up to 2 m and can weigh up to 100 kg.
killer whale
Orca
The largest species of dolphin: adults can grow up to 10 m in length and weigh more than 10 tons! They have a massive body with a black top and white belly. Killer whales are also easily recognized by the white oval spots near their eyes. Mammals are found in all the world's waters, with the exception of seas with cold climates.
Interesting fact : a killer whale’s teeth can grow up to 13 cm, with which they can compete with even the largest and most dangerous predators.
Each species of dolphin is unique in its own way, with interesting habits and distinctive features.
Description of dolphins
The dolphin family (Delphinidae) is a relatively young group that can be traced back to the late Miocene (about 10 million years ago). These are the most numerous of all cetaceans. They are found in all oceans, usually on the continental shelf, but some are also found in the open ocean.
Most dolphins are small and medium-sized animals (flight length from 1.7 m for the Heaviside dolphin to 8.2 m for the killer whale), weighing from 40 kg to 9 tons, respectively.
The snout of dolphins is beak-shaped (unlike the blunt one of porpoises). The pectoral and dorsal fins are sickle-shaped, triangular or rounded. The dorsal fin is located in the middle of the back (only cetacean dolphins lack a dorsal fin).
The pectoral fins of the killer whale are rounded, oar-shaped, while those of the pilot whale and the little killer whale are long and oblong.
At the top of their head they have one breathing hole in the shape of a crescent with the concave side forward. Both jaws have well-developed teeth (from 10 to 224, but mostly 100-200).
Most species have a convex forehead; in some it is flatter (for example, in tukuksi). In the gray dolphin, killer whale, lesser killer whale and two species of pilot whales, it protrudes forward and rounds, forming a weakly defined snout.
Dolphin coloring options can be divided into three main types:
- uniform (plain color or with uniform markings);
- spotted (with clearly distinguishable pigmented zones);
- dismembering (black and white).
Differences in color help individuals recognize each other. In addition, a certain type of coloration camouflages the hunter from the prey. Thus, dolphins that feed at depths, where there is little light, are usually monochromatic, while those that feed near the surface have a countertone color (dark top and light bottom).
The coloration of some species also serves as camouflage from predators: the dark back hides the animals due to the countertone effect (they blend into the background when viewed from above and with the light surface of the water when viewed from below), and the spots make them invisible in water penetrated by refracted sunlight. The intersecting elements of the design have both a counter-tone and disjunctive effect.
Dolphin breeding, baby dolphins
Dolphins do not have a specific time of year for mating. They can do this business any day, depending on the surrounding conditions. Only the male of the pack is responsible for the production of offspring. He gradually pays attention to each female, after which they begin to bear cubs.
Dolphin pregnancy lasts one and a half years, and only one baby dolphin is born. During the gestation period, the female requires the help of other members of the pack, as she becomes clumsy, loses her reaction and is less oriented in space.
Mom and baby
Childbirth occurs right afloat, without any preparation. The baby is born approximately 50-60 cm in size and fully prepared for life under water. From the very first seconds, he follows his mother and feeds on her milk as much as possible. Its echolocator works perfectly and allows you to see your surroundings.
Interesting fact : only females are involved in raising the cubs. Male dolphins are considered one of the most indifferent fathers.
Formation of an adult
The puberty period for a baby dolphin is more than 5 years. During this time, slow body growth is observed. The skeleton gradually ossifies. As soon as the vertebrae of a young individual are completely fused, full physical maturity occurs.
How do dolphins reproduce? The period of sexual activity in females is about 15 years. At the same time, individual females give birth to different numbers of babies during this period of time. One dolphin can give birth to about 10 cubs, while another can give birth to only a few. This state of affairs is due to the presence of pronounced social roles in the group. The lifespan of a dolphin in the sea is no more than 30 years.
People and dolphins
Creatures have long been closely integrated into human life. In addition to the fact that people study these mammals, they try to interact with them in every possible way. Since dolphins are easy to train, they are used in various circus performances, as well as for medicinal purposes.
Dolphins love to play with children
During the rehabilitation of children with neurological diseases, animals play the role of some kind of mentors, helping to perform water exercises. Thanks to them, children feel supported, achieve positive results faster and get better.
Interesting fact : The most famous species of dolphin is the bottlenose dolphin. It is more trainable, and representatives of this species act in films, perform in the circus and “work” with people in other areas.
In addition to great intelligence, dolphins have boundless kindness. It is she who allows you to get closer to a person. Many cases have been recorded when mammals swam to the site of a shipwreck, found surviving people and allowed them to hold on to themselves as if they were a life preserver. After that, they swam to land so that the victims could get ashore and be safe.
Birds
The number of guillemots was the highest since 2004 on the island of Handa (Scotland). Based on data from 10 sites, the population of this bird species increased for the third year in a row.
In addition, huge numbers of Arctic terns and rare roseate terns were observed at Jamlin, a bay on the north-west coast of Wales.
