Dolphins Are Fascinating Sea Animals
Everyone knows dolphins are a sight to see when they're effortlessly jumping across the ocean water, but what do you really know about these highly intelligent, social creatures? There's a lot more to dolphins than meets the eye, and here are just five fun facts to get you interested.
1. Dolphins Don't Chew Their Food
Despite having teeth, dolphins don't chew their food. Once they've set their eyes on a target, they simply charge at it, bite, and then swallow it whole. They may try to break their food down into smaller pieces, but they still finish them in one gulp.
2. Orca Whales Are Considered Dolphins
Even though whale is literally in their name, orcas are actually scientifically classified as dolphins. And as you'd expect, they're the largest of their kind! Interestingly, all dolphins are considered toothed whales, but that doesn't go the other way around!
3. There Are Over 40 Different Species
When you think of dolphins, you likely have a very generic image come to mind. However, there are actually way more different species than you may have known - around 40 spread out all across the world! Because dolphins don't just live in the ocean, they live in rivers, too!
4. They Make Bubbles When Hunting
Although bubbles seem pretty innocent, dolphins actually use them as tools when hunting, creating "bubble nets" which force fish to group together for easy eating. When done in a large pod, it can be incredibly effective, which truly showcases their high intelligence.
5. They're Big Talkers
Compared to most animals, dolphins make a variety of unique sounds from whistling to clicking and trilling. They're incredibly social creatures, and they're constantly communicating with others using these sounds and their body language. It makes sense they have such an elaborate form of communication given that they're some of the smartest animals in the world!
