The sea and marine animals are endowed with a huge attractive force. From time immemorial, the water, ocean element has been for man both a source of benefit and a carrier of threats. And if only a few people can find something attractive in fish and algae, then few will remain indifferent to dolphins.

Do dolphins present interesting facts for children? Undoubtedly. And above all, this is a fairly high level of their intellectual development in comparison with the vast majority of other living beings.

Biologists have found out that dolphins have a rather complex system of signals (not a “language”, as the copper-headed mystics stubbornly call it, but still this system is more complicated than that of ordinary fish). This is not surprising, because mammals are evolutionarily more perfect. The study of dolphin abilities is insufficient: experiments give sharply contradictory results.

What should you know about dolphins?

First of all, these are not fish, but aquatic animals (animals). Moreover, water animals that swim extremely fast. Dolphin can easily compete with many types of ships. It is popularly believed that they jump out of the water to have fun or express joy. This is mistake. In fact, dolphins need jumps in order to increase by a short time speed when hunting for fish (since air is a less dense medium).

At least seventy varieties of "brilliant beaks" live in the seas of our planet. They all have smooth skin, which allows them to move through the water quickly and with little effort.

Dolphins present interesting facts for children and another plan. For example, differences between species are not only in mass and color, but also in the shape of the nose. All dolphins live only in warm seas. At the same time, it is believed that they are inclined to protect people from danger. Eleven years ago, four New Zealand lifeguards were protected from a white shark by a pod of bottlenose dolphins for forty minutes.

Interestingly, dolphins always hunt in packs, and are unable to survive alone. Moreover, the group of dolphins has about a hundred individuals. If one of them falls ill and cannot ascend, the others push her up into the air.

A separate topic is the so-called Gray's paradox. Before the Second World War, James Gray established that the speed of dolphins reaches thirty-seven kilometers per hour. It cannot be achieved by muscle strength alone. And only by the seventies in the USSR it was possible to clarify the biological mechanism that helps to do this.

It is often said about dolphins that they are the smartest, kindest and most sympathetic creatures, as opposed to. Dolphins have saved people more than once, showing skill and quick wit. By by and large despite the huge number interesting facts about dolphins We know very little about them. One thing is for sure, dolphins are intelligent. Perhaps they are the most intelligent creatures on the planet. For communication, they use a language consisting of 14 thousand signals. The brain of dolphins is larger than that of a human and is more complex.

People have noticed that the dolphin can be beneficial to humanity. They are already used for treatment, solving civil and military problems. Let's hope that they will not be passive slaves, like horses, in the service of human interests.

There is a great film shot about dolphins, I recommend watching:

Dolphin therapy is used to treat ailments that cannot be dealt with by applying drug treatment and physiotherapy. Children with diseases of the nervous system, neurological and psychological disorders feel better after communicating with dolphins.

The ultrasound emitted by dolphins works like sonopheresis. Unlike procedures that use laboratory settings, the ultrasound produced by dolphins is “alive” and works better. Do not confuse simple communication with dolphins and therapy. For treatment with dolphins, it is necessary individual program, regular joint swimming, in the presence of a doctor-instructor. Rehabilitation of adults with the use of dolphin therapy is also possible. Centers where medical sessions are carried out exist at dolphinariums. In Crimea, there is the International Center for Dolphin Therapy, a center for balneology and rehabilitation. Being in their familiar atmosphere, in sea water, dolphins give their kindness to patients, helping to adapt to life. Truly interesting creatures By the way, I advise you to read

The first experiments on training dolphins to perform military tasks were undertaken at the beginning of the 20th century. For many years, dolphins have been in combat service in the US armed forces. The Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, the Iraqi fighting - everywhere there was work for these cute mammals. Currently, India, China, and Japan are showing interest in dolphins as a means of fulfilling military tasks.

IN Soviet years the base of the USSR for the training of dolphins was located in Sevastopol. Fun Fact: Dolphins turned out to be completely unsuitable for attacking the enemy and for the role of kamikaze. They refused to perform actions that directly threatened them with death or injured people. But they successfully discovered mines covered with silt and sand. This task was beyond the power of even experienced divers. Dolphins do not use sight when searching, but echolocation, which allows them to detect objects that are not visible to the eye. Finding the desired object, the dolphins dropped the buoy, marking the place of the find. Divers could only search well in the indicated place.

Being in cages, dolphins, having found an outsider in the water area, gave signals, indicated the direction where to look. When in the water, dolphin detection results for a diver reach 100%. Prepared individuals can detect the enemy, detain, remove his mask and bring him to the surface.

Of course, the capabilities of dolphins are not limited to helping the military. They can provide invaluable assistance in underwater research. Already, these smart mammals are taking photographs, helping researchers find sunken ships and archaeological sites. It is supposed to use dolphins to control gas pipelines laid under water.

Many dolphins are also found in the Maldives. In these beautiful places at dawn, you can often find whole flocks of these beautiful mammals. By the way, how much does a trip to the Maldives cost?

Dolphins are incredibly smart and friendly to humans, they have a cheerful disposition and are simply adorable animals. It is not without reason that these aquatic mammals deserve such a respectful attitude. Let's learn more about these amazing animals.

The word dolphin goes back to the Greek δελφίς (delphis), which in turn comes from the Indo-European root *gʷelbh- "womb", "womb", "womb". The name of the animal can be interpreted as "newborn baby" (perhaps because of the external resemblance to a baby or because the cry of a dolphin is similar to the cry of a child).

The dolphin is the only mammal whose birth literally begins with the tail, and not with the head! Young dolphins stay with their mother for 2 or 3 years.

In nature, there are almost forty species of dolphins, their closest relatives are whales and sea cows. Dolphins evolved relatively recently - about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Most species of dolphins live in salt water, but there are also freshwater animals.

Adult dolphins reach sizes from 1.2 m in length and weight from 40 kg (river dolphin) to 9.5 m and 10 tons (killer whale). The brain is the largest organ in the dolphin's body. During sleep, a part of the brain is awake, allowing the dolphin to breathe in sleep so as not to drown! The life of a dolphin is directly dependent on access to oxygen.

Dolphins have a weak sense of smell, but excellent eyesight and absolutely unique hearing. Emitting powerful sound impulses, they are capable of echolocation, which allows them to perfectly navigate in the water, find each other and food.

Dolphins are capable of making a wide range of sounds with the help of a nasal air sac located under the blowhole. There are roughly three categories of sounds: frequency-modulated whistles, explosive impulse sounds, and clicks. Clicks are the loudest among the sounds made by marine life.

Dolphins can swim at speeds up to 25 miles per hour for long periods of time. This is about 3 times faster than the fastest swimmers in the world.

The so-called. is associated with dolphins. "Grey's paradox". In the 1930s Englishman James Gray was surprised by the unusually high swimming speed of dolphins (37 km / h according to his measurements). Having made the necessary calculations, Gray showed that, according to the laws of hydrodynamics for bodies with unchanged surface properties, dolphins should have had several times greater muscle strength than was observed in them. Accordingly, he suggested that dolphins are able to control the streamlining of their body, maintaining a laminar flow at speeds for which it should already become turbulent. In the United States and Great Britain after the Second World War and 10 years later in the USSR, attempts began to prove or disprove this assumption. In the United States, they practically ceased from 1965-1966 to 1983, as erroneous conclusions were made on the basis of incorrect estimates that the "Grey's paradox" does not exist, and muscular energy alone is enough for dolphins to develop such speed. In the USSR, attempts continued in 1971-1973. the first experimental confirmation of Gray's conjecture appeared.

Dolphins have a system of sound signals. There are two types of signals: echolocation (sonar), used by animals to study the situation, detect obstacles, prey, and “chirps” or “whistles”, for communication with relatives, also expressing the emotional state of the dolphin.

Signals are emitted at very high, ultrasonic frequencies, inaccessible to human hearing. The sound perception of humans is in the frequency band up to 20 kHz, dolphins use frequencies up to 200 kHz.

In the "speech" of dolphins, scientists have already counted 186 different "whistles". They have about the same levels of organization of sounds as a person: six, that is, a sound, a syllable, a word, a phrase, a paragraph, a context, they have their own dialects.

In 2006, a team of British researchers from the University of St. Andrews conducted a series of experiments, the results of which suggest that dolphins are capable of assigning and recognizing names.

Communication with dolphins has a positive effect on the human body, especially on the child's psyche. British experts came to this conclusion back in 1978. Since that time, the development of "dolphin therapy" began. Now it is used to treat many physical and mental diseases, including autism, and other ailments. Swimming with dolphins relieves chronic pain, improves immunity and even helps children develop speech.

Dolphins are also used in pet therapy to treat people with ultrasonic sonar.

A dolphin and a pregnant woman off the coast of Ixtapa, Mexico. Ixtapa, MexicoPicture: CATERS

An absolutely unique feature of dolphins is that they can "look inside" a person, like an ultrasound device - for example, they quickly determine the pregnancy of a woman. The feeling of "new life" is often very emotionally exciting for dolphins, they react violently and joyfully to pregnant women, and, as a rule, pregnant women are not allowed to swim in enclosures (although this may be best time for communication) so as not to take away the attention of animals from other visitors, and to avoid an involuntary "emotional attack" on the unborn baby.

Incredibly romantic fact from the "private" life of dolphins - ethologists studying Amazon dolphins have discovered that males give gifts to potential mates. So, what gift is the female dolphin waiting for to consider her as a candidate for the continuation of offspring? Of course, a bouquet of river algae!

India has become the 4th country to ban the keeping of dolphins in captivity. Earlier similar measures were taken by Costa Rica, Hungary and Chile. The Indians call dolphins "a person or person of a different origin than "homo sapiens". Accordingly, the "person" must have its own rights, and its exploitation for commercial purposes is unacceptable by law. Animal behavioral scientists (ethologists) say it is very difficult to define the line that separates human intelligence and emotions from the nature of dolphins.

The United States and Russian law enforcement agencies have trained oceanic dolphins for military purposes. Fighting dolphins have been trained to detect underwater mines, rescue sailors after their ship is destroyed, and search and destroy. submarines using kamikaze techniques.

A dolphin has twice as many convolutions in the cerebral cortex as a human.

Dolphins not only have a "vocabulary" of up to 14,000 audio signals that allows them to communicate with each other, but they also have self-awareness, "social consciousness" and emotional empathy - a willingness to help newborns and the sick by pushing them to the surface of the water.

Dolphins are voracious predators, feeding mainly on fish, mollusks, and crustaceans; sometimes they attack their relatives.

Dolphins are mostly social, found in all seas and even rise into rivers.

Dolphins are famous for their playful behavior and for the fact that for the sake of entertainment they can blow air bubbles in the form of a ring under water with the help of a blowhole. These can be large bubble clouds, bubble streams, or individual bubbles. Some of them act as a kind of communicative signals.

Within a pack, dolphins form very close bonds. Scientists have noticed that dolphins care for sick, wounded and elderly relatives, and a female dolphin can help another female with difficult childbirth. At this time, nearby dolphins, protecting the female in childbirth, swim around her for protection.

Along with humans and bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees), dolphins are the only animal species that can mate for pleasure.

Another proof of the high intelligence of dolphins is the fact that adults sometimes teach their cubs to use special tools for hunting. For example, they “dress” sea sponges on their muzzles in order to avoid injury when hunting for fish that can hide in bottom sediments of sand and sharp pebbles.

Dolphin skin is very delicate and easily damaged by contact with other surfaces. That is why before petting a dolphin, it is necessary to remove all sharp objects, such as rings.

Dolphins have up to 100 teeth in their mouths, but they do not chew food with them, but only capture it. Dolphins swallow all their prey whole.

Dolphins can dive to depths of up to 305 meters, but they usually swim this deep only when hunting. Many bottlenose dolphins live almost in shallow water. In Sarasota Bay, Florida, dolphins spend considerable time at a depth of only 2 meters.

The oldest dolphin in captivity was named Nelly. She lived in the marine mammal park "Marineland" (Florida) and died when she was 61 years old.

When dolphins hunt, they use an interesting tactic to drive the fish into a trap. They begin to circle around the school of fish, close the ring, forcing the fish to huddle into a tight ball. Then, one by one, the dolphins snatch the fish from the center of the school, preventing it from leaving.

Dolphins can rise up to 6 meters above the water when they jump out of the water.

Interesting Facts about dolphins that we have collected in this article are able to change the attitude of each person towards these animals. Yes, yes, specifically to animals, because they are not fish.

Mankind has been looking for brothers in mind for many centuries. To achieve this goal, people spend a lot of money on studying outer space, research of different sciences and locations. And what if we are not alone even on Earth, we simply do not notice the intelligence of other representatives of the planet? We are sure that the behavior and interesting facts about dolphins will make you rethink their significance.

Despite the fact that dolphins live in water, they are different from other representatives of the seas and oceans. The fact is that animals are warm-blooded. At the same time, dolphins are much closer to humans than we might think. Did you know that they feed their babies with milk? At the same time, they do not throw the game at all. Instead of scales, they have coda, which is quite soft and delicate to the touch. Dolphins are distinguished from fish even by other fins. Instead of bones in the fins, something similar to the phalanges of the fingers.

Brain

The brain of an adult individual weighs about 1.7 kilograms. A person has 1400 grams. Naturally, the size itself does not say anything, the structure is important. So, magnetic resonance imaging showed that dolphins have a total number of convolutions and nerve cells outnumbers humans. Hence the conclusions are imposed that we simply live in different environments. In reality, it can be assumed that dolphins are also intelligent creatures. And repeated rescues of people from the water are proof of this. Actually, they have a language of communication.

Communication

It has long been no secret that dolphins are able to communicate through specific sound signals. The facts indicate that animals emit different signals in frequency, which remind us of whistling and clicking. According to the latest scientific data, dolphins are capable of emitting about 14,000 different signals. That's about one person's vocabulary. At the same time, all dolphins have their own names, to which they respond. Amazing, isn't it?

Here's another interesting fact for you. Dolphins rarely live alone. Their packs also suggest a complex structure in terms of sociology. Each individual in their flock has a certain place, that is, a meaning. All warm-blooded "fish" are distinguished by inquisitive behavior. Unlike wild animals, dolphins do not avoid meeting people. On the contrary, they like to play, especially with people's children. In the entire history of mankind, there has not been a single case of a dolphin attacking a person. Unfortunately, there is no such favor on our part. People often enslave dolphins. And it's terrible!

Dolphin Speed ​​Mystery

The famous British zoologist Sir James Gray in 1936 drew attention to the speed of movement of dolphins. The figure was amazing - 37 kilometers per hour. After a series of studies, it became clear that, according to the laws of hydrodynamics, a dolphin cannot achieve such a speed, but the fact remains. His work has gone down in history as "Grey's Paradox". To this day, people cannot explain how dolphins accelerate at such a speed. Every year, people scientists present new theories and assumptions, but so far no one has reached the truth.

Ability to regenerate

Among the most interesting facts about dolphins is the ability to regenerate. At the same time, the ability to heal in these animals is better than in humans. Even in the event of a serious injury, dolphins are able to regenerate. However, they do not die from blood poisoning. Instead, they go to the bottom, where there are no microbes. In case of injury, for example, from shark teeth, they are restored in just a couple of weeks. It's funny that no traces remain at the site of the wound. The information provided indicates that nervous system Dolphins are more developed than humans.

official recognition

Another fun fact about dolphins. They have received public recognition in many countries. In particular, in India, animals were excluded from the list. That is, dolphins were given the status of an individual. That is, India is the first state in which there are two types of personalities: people and dolphins. This suggests that the self-awareness of dolphins still exists. Ministry environment around the world propagandizes for appropriation this status. People must comply special rights animals, because they have intelligence. Number of rescues human lives confirmation of this.

It is worth adding that these animals are famous for their playful behavior. Will use the term "animals", since they have not received the status of individuals everywhere. It should be said that dolphins are capable of even blowing bubbles in the form of rings under water for entertainment. Thus, they entertain many sailors. Many of them are trying to establish communication with people through bubbles. Apparently, dolphins came to the conclusion before us that it was necessary to look for mutual language. Unfortunately, not all people correctly understand their signals, referring to the underdevelopment of the species. But in fact it turns out the opposite.

An essay-description of a dolphin and information about dolphins for children will help prepare for the lesson.

Description of a dolphin for children

If you asked me what kind of smart animal I know, then I would certainly name a dolphin. After all, few people know that a dolphin is not a fish at all, but a mammal. Therefore, this "wonder of nature" is one of the most mysterious in the water empire and an extremely intelligent creature.

Very often, dolphins are called the sirens of the sea. All this is due to the wide amplitude of sounds. This is how animals recognize each other and gather in flocks. The peculiarity is that they are capable of self-sacrifice. And they will fight for their relative to the last.

Dolphins have an interesting structure, because they are close to human in size. The color of the skin is more often than series. Their naked, strong and muscular body with developed fins allows them to move quickly in the water. The transition between the nasal and frontal parts is quite well expressed. Although there is no nose as such, because it has grown together into one nostril, this does not prevent them from swimming at depth. Dolphin eyes are tiny, like beads. That's why the world they perceive through sounds.

For some reason, these brave animals fell in love with a person very much. This can be perfectly seen in the dolphinariums. They quickly jump out of the water and happily greet the audience. They are perfectly trainable.

Dolphins have long been a symbol of the sea. There are many legends about them. They rescue those who ask for help at sea. As well as dolphins - invaluable companions of sailors, escort them on distant sea voyages.

Composition on the topic “My favorite animal is a dolphin”

My favorite animal is the dolphin. I think they are especially graceful, beautiful. Dolphins live in the seas and oceans. When you watch a movie, they often show how dolphins save people. I would love to ride a dolphin. You can say this is my dream. I really like going to the dolphinarium, especially stroking cute dolphins on their wet bodies. Dolphins also make very funny sounds, similar to a child who screams with joy when they play with him.

Essay about dolphins

Dolphins are one of the most mysterious animals on our planet.
The intelligence of these marine inhabitants is considered so high that they are called "people of the sea." Scientists say that dolphins are smarter and smarter than all other animals.
Dolphins live in the water, but they are not fish, but mammals from the order of cetaceans. That is, they need air - they breathe with lungs, not gills. People can always see the faces of dolphins on the surface of the sea, because dolphins can stay under water for an average of 3-5 minutes.

Dolphins live in packs. They always help each other and never leave each other in trouble. These highly developed marine animals are very similar to humans, they tend to self-sacrifice. If they hear sounds from the shore, similar to a dolphin's cry for help, they are thrown onto land, while dying.

Dolphin is the embodiment of friendliness and kindness.
Dolphins can make about ten different sounds. The hearing of dolphins is unique and operates on the principle of a sonar. By reflected sounds, dolphins can determine the range of an object, its size, shape. The dolphin orients itself in the space around it much more by hearing than by sight.

A dolphin can eat up to 30 kilograms of live fish per day.
Dolphins live for about 30 years.

Baby dolphins are born about once every two years. At this time, the dolphin is trying to jump high so that the cub can take its first breath.
Dolphins are very touching parents who take care of their cubs for about five years. And even reaching puberty, the cub still remains strongly attached to the mother, and tries to follow her everywhere.

The dolphin is a representative of the suborder of toothed whales, the order of cetaceans, the dolphin family (Delphinidae). The graceful body of the dolphin has a spindle-shaped streamlined shape, which allows these mammals to quickly cut through the water surface. The speed of the dolphin reaches 50 km/h.

Humans and Dolphins

People have known about the extraordinary mind and quick wit of dolphins for a long time. These charming animals rescue people from ships in distress, preventing them from drowning. You could even say that dolphins are the smartest animals on the planet. Many trainers believe that the intelligence of dolphins can be equated to a human, these animals behave so intelligently and unusually.

There is a joke about dolphins, which tells that if a person had not overtaken the dolphins and had not climbed down from the tree before, they would come out of the water and now would be the kings of nature, replacing us.

Dolphin is smart, kind, beautiful, he is an excellent student, analyzes, remembers.

Dolphins are directly related to the formidable inhabitants of the oceans, killer whales and whales. There are about 50 species of dolphins. These include the porpoise, black dolphin, gray dolphin, white-faced dolphin, Atlantic white-sided dolphin.

The most popular is the bottlenose dolphin (large dolphin), which people basically have in mind when talking about meetings with representatives of this species. They are well studied and tamed. Bottlenose dolphins are filmed in films, they participate in programs for the rehabilitation of children suffering from various neurological ailments.

Dolphin - description and photos. What does a dolphin look like?

A dolphin is not a fish, but a mammal. Common to all species is an elongated streamlined body, which is crowned by a small dolphin head with a beak-shaped mouth. Each jaw contains 80-100 small conical teeth. The dolphin's teeth are slightly tilted inwards. The transition between the muzzle and the frontal part is well defined. Almost all members of the dolphin class have a prominent dorsal fin. The skin is supple and smooth to the touch. The length of the dolphin can reach 4.5 meters depending on the species.

Dolphins in the water move very easily, they practically do not feel its resistance due to special fatty secretions on the skin that facilitate gliding. Interestingly, the dolphin's skin is quickly erased from the friction of water. Therefore, in the deep skin layers they have a significant supply of regenerating cells. The dolphin constantly sheds, changing up to 25 layers of skin per day!

The eyes of dolphins are small, vision is poor. This is due to the fact that animals practically do not use them for hunting. The nostrils are transformed into a blowhole located on the crown of the head.

How do dolphins breathe?

Whales and dolphins are related and can stay under water for a long time without surfacing. The drawbar is closed during such periods. But, like other cetaceans, dolphins still need air underwater and periodically rise to the surface to breathe.

Do dolphins have ears?

Dolphins have no ears. But that doesn't mean they don't have hearing. Eat! True, it functions differently from other mammals. Sounds are perceived by the inner ear, and the air cushions located in the frontal part serve as resonators. But these animals are fluent in echolocation. They accurately determine the location and dimensions of the object by the reflected sound, and by the wavelength - the distance to it.

How Do Dolphins Sleep?

Dolphins also have another interesting physiological feature A: They never sleep. Animals hang in the water column, periodically rising to the surface for breathing. During rest, they are able to alternately turn off either the left or the right hemisphere of the brain, that is, only one half of the dolphin's brain sleeps, while the other is awake.

Where do dolphins live?

The habitat of the dolphin is exclusively water bodies. The dolphin lives in almost all places on our planet, with the exception of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Dolphins live in the sea, in the ocean, as well as in large freshwater rivers (Amazonian river dolphin). These mammals love space and move freely over long distances.

Dolphin language

Dolphins are animals social, live in packs, in which there can be from 10 to 100 (sometimes more) individuals, fighting off enemies with common efforts. Inside the pack, there is practically no competition or fights between them; fellow tribesmen coexist peacefully with each other. Dolphins communicate using sounds and signals. Dolphin language extraordinarily varied. The "talk" of these mammals includes clicking, whistling, barking, and chirping. The dolphin voice spectrum extends from the lowest frequencies to ultrasonic. Moreover, they can combine simple sounds into words and sentences, passing information to each other.

What do dolphins eat?

The diet of dolphins includes only fish, preference is given to sardines and anchovies. The method of hunting used by animals is also interesting. A flock of dolphins finds a school of fish and with special sounds forces it to huddle into a dense group. As a result of such hunting, most of the school becomes the prey of dolphins. This feature is often used by gulls, attacking frightened fish from the air. There are known facts when dolphins helped fishermen by driving a joint to them in the net.

Sharks and dolphins

An interesting fact is that sharks and dolphins live in symbiosis. They often hunt together without showing any aggression towards each other.

Dolphin species

There are 17 genera in the dolphin family. Most interesting varieties dolphins:

• White-bellied dolphin (black dolphin, Chilean dolphin) ( Cephalorhynchus eutropia)

lives exclusively on the coast of Chile. An animal with a rather modest size - the length of the stocky and rather thick body of this cetacean does not exceed 170 cm. The back and sides of the white-bellied dolphin are gray, while the throat, belly area and parts of the flippers adjacent to the body are absolutely white. The flippers and dorsal fin of the white-bellied dolphin are smaller than those of other dolphin species. This species is close to extinction, protected by the Chilean authorities.

• Common dolphin (common dolphin) ( Delphinus delphis)

The length of a marine animal often reaches 2.4 meters, the weight of a dolphin varies between 60-80 kilograms. In the back area, an ordinary dolphin is painted dark blue or almost black, the belly is white, and a spectacular yellowish-gray stripe runs along the light sides. This species of dolphins lives in the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, feels at ease in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Common dolphin spotted on the east coast South America, along the coasts of New Zealand and South Africa, in the seas of Japan and Korea.

• white-faced dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus albirostris)

a large representative of cetaceans with a body length reaching 3 meters and weighing up to 275 kg. Distinctive feature The white-faced dolphin has a very light, sometimes snow-white muzzle. The habitat of this mammal includes the waters of the North Atlantic, the coast of Portugal and Turkey. The dolphin feeds on fish such as capelin, saffron cod, flounder, herring, cod, whiting, as well as mollusks and crustaceans.

• Large-toothed dolphin ( Steno bredanensis)

The body length of this marine mammal is 2-2.6 meters, weight varies from 90 to 155 kg. The height of the dorsal fin is 18-28 cm. The color of the dolphin is dominated by gray, over which whitish spots are “scattered”. This species of dolphin is common off the coast of Brazil, in the Gulf of Mexico and California, lives in the warm waters of the Caribbean and Red Seas.

• bottlenose dolphin (large dolphin or bottlenose dolphin) ( Tursiops truncatus)

The length of the animal can vary from 2.3 to 3.6 meters, and weight from 150 to 300 kg. The body color of the bottlenose dolphin depends on the habitat, but basically the species has a dark brown upper body and a grayish-white belly. Sometimes there is a weakly pronounced pattern in the form of fuzzy stripes or spots on the sides. The bottlenose dolphin lives in the Mediterranean, Red, Baltic and Black Seas, and is often found in the Pacific Ocean along the coasts of Japan, Argentina and New Zealand.

• Broad-faced dolphin (beakless dolphin) ( Peponocephala electra)

distributed in the waters of countries with a tropical climate, especially mass populations live along the coast of the Hawaiian Islands. The torpedo-shaped, light gray body of the animal is crowned with a cone-shaped dark gray head. The length of a mammal often reaches 3 meters, and an adult individual weighs more than 200 kg.

• Chinese dolphin ( sousa chinensis)

This representative of the genus of humpback dolphins lives in the waters along the coast of Southeast Asia, but migrates during the breeding season, therefore it is found in bays, quiet sea lagoons and even rivers washing Australia and South Africa. The length of the animal can be 2-3.5 meters with a weight of 150-230 kg. Surprisingly, although dolphins are born absolutely black, as they grow, the body color changes first to light gray, with slightly pinkish spots, and adults become almost white. The Chinese dolphin feeds on fish and shellfish.

• Irrawaddy dolphin ( Orcaella brevirostris)

A distinctive feature of this species of dolphins is the complete absence of a beak on the muzzle and a flexible neck, which received mobility due to several skin and muscle folds behind the head. The color of the body of the Irrawaddy dolphin can be either light gray with a blue tint or dark gray, while the belly of the animal is always a tone lighter. In length, this aquatic mammal reaches 1.5-2.8 meters and weighs 115-145 kg. The dolphin's habitat covers the waters of the warm Indian Ocean, from the Bay of Bengal to north coast Australia.

• Cruciform Dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus cruciger)

lives exclusively in the waters of the Antarctic and subantarctic. The color of the dolphin is black and white, less often - dark gray. Spectacular mark white color, covering the sides of the mammal, stretches to its muzzle, framing the eye area. The second mark runs along the back of the body, intersecting with the first and forming an hourglass pattern. An adult cruciform dolphin has a body length of about 2 meters in length, the weight of a dolphin varies between 90-120 kilograms.

• Killer whale (killer whale) ( Orcinus orca)

a mammal that belongs to the dolphin family, a genus of killer whales. The male killer whale has a length of about 10 meters and a weight of around 8 tons. Females are smaller: their length reaches 8.7 meters. Pectoral flippers of killer whales have a wide oval shape. Killer whale teeth are quite long - up to 13 cm in length. The sides and back of the mammal are black, the throat is white, and there is a white stripe on the belly. There are white spots above the eyes. Sometimes there are completely black or white individuals in the waters Pacific Ocean. The killer whale lives in all waters of the oceans, except for the Sea of ​​Azov, the Black Sea, the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea.

Dolphin breeding, baby dolphins

Dolphins do not have a pronounced mating season. Reproduction occurs at any time of the year. Mates with females, as a rule, the leader of the pack. Pregnancy lasts approximately 18 weeks and is quite difficult. The female dolphin becomes clumsy, loses the ability to move quickly and often becomes the prey of enemies. The dolphin brings 1 cub about once every 2 years. Small dolphins about 50-60 centimeters long are born right afloat, fully capable and able to follow their mother from the first minutes.

baby dolphins feed on mother's milk, eat frequently and grow rapidly. Feeding stops by one and a half years, when the dolphin begins to feed on fish on its own.

The upbringing and education of babies is carried out exclusively by females. Male dolphins are not caring fathers.

• The level of development of dolphins is extremely high, so they devote a lot of time not only to getting food, but also to communication, games and even sex. These are perhaps the only animals (except humans, of course) whose sexual relations go beyond procreation. These mammals play with great pleasure: dolphins jump out of the water for several meters, just hovering for a moment or making complex figures in the air, pirouettes, screws. Playing dolphins very often attract the attention of ship passengers.
• Unlike fish, the dolphin swings its tail in an up/down direction.
• In the mouth of a sexually mature dolphin, there are 210 sharp teeth, while they play a role only in capturing food, but dolphins swallow their prey without chewing, since they do not have a chewing reflex.
• Dolphins don't sleep! Rather, only one hemisphere of the brain sleeps in them, while the second is awake and intuitively pushes the dolphin to the surface of the water surface to take another breath.
• It is currently forbidden to hunt these interesting and charming animals. Despite all conservation measures, the number of dolphins is declining, and some of them are almost extinct. Now many water parks are working on breeding endangered species, as well as studying and training dolphins.