Dolphin Facts That You Never Knew Before

Dolphins are one of the most misunderstood mammals amongst the organisms living under the sea. A major part of the population of the world does not even know that a dolphin is actually a mammal and not a fish. All kinds of myths have been doing round for many years that have kept these people away from the true Dolphin facts. This article aims to give some more or less basic facts about dolphins.

Dolphins are aquatic mammals that are closely related to the porpoises and whales. The most fascinating of the Dolphin facts is that there are precisely as many as forty species of dolphins in seventeen genera. They may vary in size, shape and weights according to the class they belong to. Common dolphins can reach lengths of 7.5 to 8.5 feet and may weigh somewhere around 297 lb. (135 kgs). The most asked for information about dolphins are-

1. Feeding- Most of the common dolphins feed on squid or small schooling fish. In some parts of the world, dolphins feed at night on the deep scattering layer that moves towards the water surface during that time. One basic trait that has been observed in these mammals is that they usually work together to herd fish into tight balls. These organisms are highly intelligent and often use human techniques like trawling to get food. They also feed on the fishes that manage to escape from fish nets of fishermen. 2. Mating and breeding- One of the moist important facts of dolphins that one should not skip us the process of their mating. These mammals reach sexual maturity at the age of three or four years, when they are about six to seven feet long. The calves are usually thirty four inches at birth while the gestation period lies somewhere between ten to eleven months. 3. Distribution and migration- The common dolphin is found in all tropical and warm and temperate regions. The long beaked ones are found in the coastal waters while the long beaked common dolphins are found in offshore waters, especially in the eastern Pacific region. 4. Duration of life- This is probably the most unknown facts about dolphins. The maximum age of a dolphin lies somewhere between forty to fifty years. The life expectancy of an average dolphin can be calculated from the Annual survival rate that provides valuable information about dolphins and their life expectancy that can be measured to be about 0.961. In most cases the life duration of these mammals are twenty five years. However the duration may vary according to the area of habitation.

It is high time that we circulate facts of dolphins to the rest of the world as these adorable creatures are decreasing by the day. Most of the governments of the world and animal welfare organizations have wakened up to this alarming issue. As a result a number of steps and awareness programs are being taken to protect this species from the hands of extinction from the face of the planet.

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