Black Sea bottlenose dolphin - the nature and behavior of the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin. Interesting Dolphin Facts Popular Science Article About Dolphins

Dolphins are rightfully considered the most smart creatures sea ​​depths. Dolphins belong to the group of mammals. They feed their young with milk. In addition, dolphins communicate with each other using sounds. They also understand people very well and can be trained. There are cases in history when dolphins saved people. Therefore, we suggest further viewing more interesting and amazing facts about dolphins.

1. The most popular and most amazing animals among all types of marine animals are considered to be dolphins.

2. These sea creatures are famous for their cheerful nature and high intelligence.

3. During sleep, only half of their brains are used by dolphins.

4. An average dolphin can eat about 13 kg of fish per day.

5. Wide spectrum sounds are able to create these marine animals.

6. One of the loudest sounds of dolphins is a click.

7. Dolphins help people with developmental disabilities and psychological therapy.

8. Dolphins in a playful situation can create bubbles.

9. The largest member of the dolphin family is the killer whale.

10. More than nine meters in length can reach killer whales.

11. Dolphins have sex for pleasure.

12. These sea creatures can swim at speeds up to 40 km per hour.

13. More than 11 km per hour - the usual swimming speed of dolphins.

14. Dolphins are considered the most intelligent animals in the world.

15. Mostly in flocks of up to ten individuals, these marine animals live.

16. Temporary dolphin associations can reach 1000 individuals.

17. About 120 cm is the length of the smallest dolphin.

18. Up to 11 tons can reach the weight of the largest representative of this family.

19. The average dolphin weighs over 40 kg.

20. Very thin is the skin of these sea ​​creatures.

21. Dolphin skin is easily damaged by sharp objects.

22. Twelve months can last a period of pregnancy in female dolphins.

23. About 17 months is the gestation period for killer whales.

24. There are about 100 teeth in oral cavity dolphin.

25. Dolphins do not chew their food, but swallow it.

26. From Greek word"Delphis" is the name of the dolphin.

27. Dolphins can dive up to 304 meters deep.

28. Many of these marine animals live in fairly shallow water.

29. Within the group, bonds between dolphins are very strong.

30. Dolphins can take care of injured and sick individuals.

31. These sea creatures breathe air.

32. These marine animals inhale air through the breather.

33. Most species of dolphins live in salt water.

34. At 61, the oldest dolphin died.

35. These marine animals give birth to babies tail first.

36. Dolphins use echolocation to find food.

37. An interesting hunting tactic is very often used by these sea creatures.

38. Dolphins can't fully sleep to breathe constantly.

39. Dolphins are considered very interesting and playful animals.

40. These marine animals can jump to a height of about six meters.

41. Dolphins can play with some kinds of animals.

42. Dolphins learn foreign languages.

43. Swimming with these sea creatures helps relieve stress, tension and insomnia.

44. Since ancient times, dolphins have attracted people with their benevolence.

45. About 70 species of these sea creatures are known today.

46. ​​Dolphins recognize their reflection in the mirror.

47. Dolphins in the water constantly swim in circles.

48. These sea ​​creatures live in family flocks.

49. Dolphins help each other in a flock.

50. Every dolphin has a name.

51. Dolphins are very similar to people.

52. These sea creatures have a four-chambered heart.

53. The brain of dolphins has the same weight as that of humans.

54. A dolphin cannot look at objects straight ahead.

55. These sea creatures can spend about seven minutes without air underwater.

56. Using echolocation, dolphins communicate with each other.

57. Up to 20 minutes, a dolphin can stay under water in case of danger.

58. Certain serious skills of dolphins allow them to easily adapt to any environment.

59. During the first month of life, these sea creatures do not sleep.

60. Dolphins can use the sonar system of sound signals continuously for 15 days.

61. The world dolphins explore with squeaks and clicks.

62. The eyes of these creatures can see a 300-degree panoramic environment.

63. Dolphins can look in different directions at the same time.

64. These sea creatures are able to see in low light.

65. Every two hours, the entire layer of skin in dolphins changes.

67. Any damage to the skin of dolphins heals quickly.

68. These sea creatures do not experience pain.

69. Dolphins can continue to play after being seriously injured.

70. Dolphins are capable of producing natural painkillers.

71. Dolphins are able to convert 80% of their energy into thrust.

72. With open wounds, dolphins swim in the ocean.

73. These sea creatures have an excellent immune system.

74. Dolphins are able to absorb antibiotics.

75. These sea creatures are able to feel the Earth's magnetic field.

76. With high solar activity, dolphins can be washed ashore.

77. The sonar system of dolphins is considered a unique phenomenon.

78. Amazing Ability to detect objects at a distance is typical for dolphins.

79. In nature, there are albinos - rare view dolphins.

80. With the help of the nasal air sac, these sea creatures reproduce sounds.

82. With the help of breathing under water, dolphins can blow bubbles.

83. Shellfish, squid and fish are included in the habitual diet of dolphins.

84. These sea creatures can eat up to 30 kg of food per day.

85. At a distance of up to 20 meters, these sea creatures can recognize other animals.

86. Dolphins are very easy to tame and train.

87. More than 14,000 words make up the vocabulary of these marine animals.

88. Dolphins can communicate using sign language.

89. These marine animals are able to repeat words after a person.

90. Land mammals are the ancestors of dolphins.

91. About 49 million years ago, the ancestors of dolphins moved into the water.

92. Dolphins live on average for more than 50 years.

93. There are four river species dolphins.

94. There are 32 types of sea creatures.

95. Dolphins were considered a sacred animal in Ancient Greece.

96. Dolphins inherit their skills and abilities.

97. These sea creatures cannot smell.

98. Dolphins cannot distinguish certain tastes.

99. Dolphins live with their mother for three years.

100. The pink dolphin is considered a unique species and lives in the Amazon.

Truly, dolphins are considered to be man's best marine friends. They are friendly, happy and social animals and have been praised for their playful nature as well. high intelligence. There are many cases when dolphins helped rescue services in rescuing people. Here are 15 interesting facts about dolphins that you may not know.

The most interesting facts about dolphins

1. On this moment 43 species of dolphins are known to date. 38 of them are inhabitants of the seas and oceans, and the remaining 5 are river.

2. Research scientists have proven that dolphins lived on land before adapting to water. When studying their fins, scientists discovered that they actually formed and previously looked like paws and fingers. Therefore, perhaps our closest relatives are marine life.

3. Images of dolphins were found in the city of Petra, Jordan. This city was founded in 312 BC. This means that dolphins have been “cooperating” with humans for quite a long time.

4. Dolphins are the only animals that give birth to their babies tail first. Otherwise, the babies would drown.

5. A tablespoon of water that gets into the lungs of a dolphin can burn to drown the animal. At the same time, in order to drown, a person needs two tablespoons of water to get into his lungs.

6. Dolphins can make sounds that they use when communicating over long distances. Also, these sounds allow you to determine what objects are ahead of them, which helps in calculating potential danger.

7. Dolphin sonar is the best in nature, exceeding several times bats and similar devices created by humans.

8. While sleeping, dolphins must remain on the surface of the water. They turn off only one part of the brain, while the other remains "on the alert." It supports breathing, and also allows you to monitor possible danger.

9. The Cove is the only dolphin movie to win an Oscar. In it, viewers can see how people heal these animals. The main theme of the film is the problem of cruelty towards dolphins.

10. Scientists believe that several hundred years ago, dolphins were much smaller than they are now. They also suggest that echolocation is evolutionary process, which animals have acquired relatively recently.

11. Dolphins don't use their teeth while eating. They are designed exclusively for catching prey, which they then simply swallow whole.

12. Another interesting fact about dolphins is that in ancient Greece, killing a dolphin was considered sacrilege and punishable by death. The Greeks considered them "hieros ichthys", which means "sacred fish".

13. Scientists have found that dolphins give themselves names. They develop their own individual whistles and even when the tone of the whistles changes, dolphins are able to identify them.

14. Dolphins must force themselves to breathe. They have this process not brought to automatism, in comparison with people.

15. Dolphins have two stomachs: one is for storing food and the other is used for digestion.

16. Even though the average life expectancy of dolphins is only 17 years, some centenarians can live up to 50 years.

17. Most great view dolphins are considered killer whales. Their bodies can be up to 30 feet long. In addition, killer whales are considered one of the most ferocious killers in the world.

18. If there is not enough food in their area of ​​residence, dolphins may migrate to other places. New habitats depend not only on the availability of food on them, but also on the temperature of the water, which should not be lower than the temperature of their bodies.

19. Dolphins have very sensitive skin and can get hurt at the slightest touch of a hard surface to get hurt. However, even the deepest wounds heal within a short time.

20. Dolphins can swim at speeds of 3 to 7 miles per hour. But scientists were able to record several cases when some individuals of these animals swam at a speed of about 20 miles per hour.

21. Sometimes dolphins die as soon as they get caught in fishing nets.

22. In Ancient Rome it was believed that dolphins carry souls to the "Isles of the Blessed". Images of these animals have been found on the hands of Roman mummies, presumably to ensure their safe passage to afterlife.

23. Some dolphins are able to understand about 60 words, which can make up 2000 sentences. This is a clear indication that these animals have self-awareness.

24. Dolphins do not have a sense of smell, but they have a sense of taste and, like humans, are able to distinguish between sweet, sour, bitter and salty tastes.

25. And the last of the most interesting facts about dolphins is that these animals are capable of killing a shark. They do this with powerful blows with their noses and foreheads.

Dolphins are truly amazing animals that continue to amaze humanity with every new scientific discovery.

Dolphin (Greek “source of life”) is perhaps the closest creatures to us and it is difficult to find a person who does not melt with delight at the sight of these fabulous animals. According to scientists, they are among the most mysterious creatures that hide many amazing secrets.

Breath. Dolphins are not fish, although they live in aquatic environment. They belong to the class of mammals, the order of cetaceans. They do not have gills, they breathe oxygen, which is why dolphins often “jump” out of the water - this is how they breathe air. By the way, air enters through a single nostril (blowhole), which is located at the back of the head and then enters the lungs. On average, dolphins stay under water for 5-7 minutes, after which they make another “jump”.

We are a breath of fresh air.

Nutrition. Dolphins are predators. The dolphin's diet usually includes fish, squid and shellfish. Although they have over 100 teeth, they do not participate in chewing food, dolphins absorb food entirely. They only need their teeth to grab their prey. Dolphins are warm-blooded animals and in order to maintain a fairly high temperature body (36.6 ° C), eat up to 30 kg of food per day.

Orientation in space. Dolphins navigate through the water using echolocation. That is, they direct their high-frequency signal, say, to the bottom surface and then pick up the echo reflected from the bottom. Thus, an idea of ​​​​the environment is formed. This way of orienting in space is so developed in dolphins that they can eyes closed to get their own food day and night, to “listen” to objects up to 2 millimeters, and also to bypass the danger. A dolphin at a distance of 20 meters unmistakably swims up to a pellet thrown into the water.

man and dolphin. Dolphins always live in a flock of up to 1000 heads. They have a very strongly developed sense of self-sacrifice, they never leave each other in trouble. This is perhaps one of the friendliest animals. These amazing inhabitants of the seas are not at all afraid of people, but on the contrary, they treat us very kindly. There are many facts that dolphins saved people from sharks, threw drowning children ashore, and helped lost sailors to get to land.

Intelligence. Scientists have proven that dolphins are the most intelligent creatures after humans. By mass, the brain of a dolphin even exceeds the human one (it weighs, on average, 1.7 kg, in humans - 1.4 kg). However, if we consider the brain relative to body weight, then we, of course, remain out of competition. The mind of cetaceans is so high that sometimes they are even called "sea people". Real intellectuals are able to understand the environment, quickly navigate in any situation, and even make plans for the future. Each dolphin has its own individual character. They are very easily tamed by a person and always accurately do what the trainer orders them to do. Moreover, dolphins do this not at all for the “fish”, they are interested in the creative process of completing tasks. Scientists have proven that sea ​​people they understand the commands of the trainer, and not thoughtlessly react to them.

Dolphin language. Did you know that dolphins have their own language? Yes, yes, exactly, dolphins can talk to each other no worse than we can. They communicate using ultrasonic signals. Dictionary dolphin language consists of 14,000 signal words, which is approximately equal to the vocabulary ordinary person. In addition, dolphins can also communicate in sign language (jumping, turning, posing, etc.). Amazing talkers also try to talk to a person, and some "phrases" of the dolphin language can be translated into human. For example, a barking sound made by a dolphin means that it is angry. If the dolphin whistles sadly, and then the whistle becomes loud, he needs help. By the way, like a parrot, some species of dolphins are able to repeat words after a person. This once again confirms the high development marine life.

The sounds made by dolphins have a healing effect!

Dream. Very for a long time scientists could not figure out how dolphins sleep? Like all mammals, marine life needs sleep, however, if they fall asleep, they can simply choke on the water. How then do they doze off amazing creatures? It turns out that dolphins never sleep completely, meaning that the brains of marine life do not turn off completely during sleep. Instead, the hemispheres of the brain "sleep in turn": while dozing right hemisphere, the left controls vital processes - including the periodic ascent to the surface for breathing. Then the hemispheres change places. This type of sleep is unique to dolphins and is not found in anyone else. When the dolphin wakes up, both hemispheres are included in the work.

Origin. The ancestors of dolphins are land mammals- mesonychids - most scientists come to this opinion. They were very similar to the current deer with an elongated tail. About 49 million years ago, for some reason, terrestrial mesonichds "went into the water." Coarse hair began to be replaced by smooth skin, a thick layer of fat appeared that did not freeze even in cold waters, the forelimbs turned into fins, and at the same time the size of the brain increased by about three times.

Some more amazing facts:

· Dolphins and humans are the only creatures that have sex for pleasure and not just for reproduction.

· The average swimming speed of dolphins in the water is 24 km/h. In some species, it can reach 60 km / h.

· Each dolphin has its own name, and it gets it from birth.

· Dolphins are able to recognize themselves in the mirror.

Dolphins live on average 50 years. However, sometimes their age can reach 75 years.

· In total, there are 32 species of marine and 4 species of river dolphins.

· In ancient Greece, the dolphin was considered a sacred animal, and for the murder of sea creatures, the offender paid with his own life.

Dolphins pass on their skills and abilities by inheritance.

· Dolphins do not smell, but they can distinguish between bitter, salty, sweet, and sour tastes.

And now let's just admire these fabulous creatures and not only them.:

Dolphins have always aroused the interest of people. Even the ancient Greeks noted the development of their intellect, as well as kindness and peacefulness, for which they valued and respected these animals. Over time, they became the closest water friend of man, because they repeatedly helped in this or that situation, saving people. Scientists are still researching and collecting Interesting Facts about dolphins and we have combined the most famous of them into one list.

1. The brain of dolphins is very developed and has twice as many convolutions as the human one. Moreover, they know how to control their hemispheres. Closing one eye, left or right, they temporarily put the corresponding left or right hemisphere into sleep, while the second continues to work.

2. An interesting fact about bottlenose dolphins. They live off the coast of Australia and are quite in an unusual way looking for food. Put on the tip of the nose sea ​​sponge, and then with its help they search the bottom. They do this so as not to accidentally get hurt, because the coastal waters of Australia are full of sharp corals.

3. These creatures can reach speeds of up to 50 km / h. But far from all have the ability to move so fast, but only one species - squirrel dolphins.

4. Among the interesting facts about dolphins for children is the incredibly fast skin regeneration. Any wound, minor scratch or deep cut heals 8 times faster on a creature's body than on a human. It is worth noting that even bacteria, if there is very dirty water around, do not affect the wounds of dolphins and cannot lead to infection. By comparison, a fairly serious injury the size of a basketball would heal a creature in just a week.

5. Like humans, dolphins use their lungs to absorb oxygen. But their respiratory organ is more developed, because it processes up to 80% of all the air that enters it, in contrast to the 17% that human lungs are capable of. This allows the creature to be under water from 10 to 15 minutes by means of oxygen capture.

6. An interesting fact about the Black Sea dolphins. Like other members of their species, they have a reduced perception of pain. All this is due to a special substance that their body secretes, which has an effect somewhat reminiscent of morphine.

7. Despite belonging to the sea or river type, these animals have poor eyesight, but their hearing is very well developed. With the help of sounds, they communicate, this has been proven for a very long time. And recently, scientists finally managed to count their number, which amounted to about 14 thousand different signals, which are a kind of “words”.

8. Studies have shown that each of the dolphins has its own name. They receive it at birth, it was possible to understand this by the sounds that immediately follow after the baby is born. Also, subsequently, it is to this sound that they respond in the future.

9. An interesting fact from the life of dolphins - unlike other creatures, they are always born with their tail forward, otherwise they would immediately drown.

10. What once again proved the development of their mind is that dolphins recognize themselves in the mirror. In addition to just ingenuity, they also have self-awareness - a rare event for animals.

Each dolphin in the ocean has its own name, to which it responds when called by relatives. He receives it as soon as he is born, and it is a characteristic whistle lasting 0.9 seconds. Dolphins not only call each other by name, but also introduce themselves when meeting strangers. And to identify a relative by voice, without seeing him, is a couple of trifles for them.

Dolphins are mammals from the family of toothed whales of the cetacean order. There are about forty species of these animals on the planet, and you can see them anywhere in the oceans. Most dolphins prefer to live in tropical and subtropical latitudes, but there are those who like colder waters, so they can be seen close to the Arctic, and some species are found both there and there. For example, although the white-faced dolphin lives mainly in the North Atlantic, it can often be seen off the coast of Turkey.

Most members of the family (for example, bottlenose dolphins, white-faced dolphin) are marine inhabitants, but there are four species that prefer to live in fresh river or lake water. The river dolphin lives in Asia, as well as in the waters of the South American rivers of the Amazon and Orinoco.

Unfortunately, if earlier representatives of this family met often, now the river dolphin due to habitat loss, pollution environment, reducing the amount of food and small populations has practically disappeared and is listed in the Red Book.

Description

The length of dolphins ranges from one and a half to ten meters. The smallest dolphin in the world is Maui, which lives near New Zealand: the length of the female does not exceed 1.7 meters. major inhabitant sea ​​depths is considered a white-faced dolphin about three meters long. by the most major representative is a killer whale: the length of males reaches ten meters.

It is worth noting that males are usually ten to twenty centimeters longer than females (the exception is killer whales - here the difference is about two meters). They weigh on average from one hundred and fifty to three hundred kilograms, killer whale - about a ton.

Back sea ​​dolphins it comes in gray, blue, dark brown, black and even pink (albino) colors. The front of the head can be either solid or white (for example, a white-faced dolphin has a white beak and front of the forehead).

In some species, the mouth is rounded in front, the beak-shaped mouth is absent. In others, small sizes, the head ends in an elongated mouth in the form of a flattened “beak”, and the mouth is shaped so that people watching them seem to be always smiling, and therefore they often have an irresistible desire to swim with dolphins. At the same time, even a huge number of teeth of the same cone-shaped shape does not spoil the impression - dolphins have about two hundred of them.

Due to the elongated body and smooth, elastic skin, these animals almost do not feel water resistance during movement. Because of this, they are able to move very quickly ( average speed dolphin is 40 km / h), dive to a depth of about one hundred meters, jump out of the water nine meters in height and five in length.

Another unique feature of these marine mammals is that almost all species of dolphins (with the exception of the Amazonian river dolphin and several other varieties) see well both underwater and above the surface. They have this ability due to the structure of the retina, one part of which is responsible for the image in the water, the other - above its surface.

Since whales and dolphins are relatives, like all representatives of cetaceans, they are quite capable of staying under water for a long period. But, they still need oxygen, so they constantly float to the surface, showing a blue muzzle and replenishing air supplies through a drawbar, which overlaps under water. Even during sleep, the animal is fifty centimeters from the surface and, without waking up, swims out every half a minute.

Way of life

Dolphins live in packs and do not tolerate loneliness very well. Although they do not have a leader, they perform all actions in concert: they hunt together, raise children, have fun, performing jumps of amazing beauty one after another.

The dolphin is considered one of the most intelligent mammals on our planet: the weight of its brain is 1700 grams, which is three hundred grams more than a human, and there are also twice as many convolutions in the cerebral cortex. This explains their highly developed social consciousness, ability to sympathize, readiness to help sick and wounded relatives, as well as drowning people.

Dolphins help quite actively: if one of the members of the flock is injured or barely afloat, they support him near the surface so that he cannot drown and choke. They do the same in relation to a person, helping to get to the shore. Some scientists explain why dolphins do this by caring for the population: each individual in the flock is valuable - and everything must be done to keep it alive.

Language

Animals use gestures to communicate (turns, jumps, various styles swimming, head, fins, tail), as well as a voice: the sounds of dolphins are about 14 thousand signals, and everyone has heard about the songs of dolphins. These unique animals are able to perceive the frequency of oscillations up to 200 thousand/sec, while the human ear is up to 20 thousand.

They also have a four times better ability to analyze the sounds of dolphins, separating frequencies from each other (to find out why dolphins have such abilities, in Lately lots of research is being done). Communication occurs mainly with the help of ultrasound (it is especially convenient for them to use it to transmit sound over long distances).

The songs of dolphins are not only ultrasound: the sounds of dolphins often sound at an average frequency and are expressed by clicks, squeaks, whistles (studies have shown that they perceive their speech as hieroglyphic pictures).

Dolphin sounds are of two types:

• Sonar or echolocation - animals hear the echo of a beating sound and identify it;
• Whistling or chirping - these sounds of dolphins are used to intimacy with relatives and animals express their emotions with them. Scientists have counted about 186 different type“whistles”, which, like human speech, contain sounds, syllables, words, phrases, paragraphs, context and dialect.

Nutrition

The diet of dolphins is based on fish, squid, shrimps (some dolphins in the ocean, in order to catch their favorite prey, are quite capable of diving to a depth of up to 260 kilometers), killer whales eat marine mammals and birds.

They fish in different ways. Sometimes the whole flock of dolphins is looking for her, sometimes - by a separate group or sent in search of a scout.

If the hunt takes place on the high seas, dolphins surround a large school of fish, knocking them into a heap, after which they take turns diving there and feeding. If they fish near the shore, the strategy is somewhat different: a flock of dolphins drives schools to land, after which the fish are easily caught in shallow water.

reproduction

The ability to reproduce in females appears between the fifth and twelfth years of life, in males between the ninth and thirteenth. Their couples are unstable and animals change partners every time.

How long the pregnancy lasts is not precisely established, presumably this period is from ten to eighteen months. When giving birth, the female is very close to the surface, so that, as soon as the baby is born, raise her tail high, giving him the opportunity to take a sip of air before falling into the water.

Usually one baby about half a meter long is born, and up to six months the mother feeds him with milk and protects him. Newborn cubs usually do not fall asleep in the first month of their life and do not allow their mothers to sleep, swimming around them and emerging to the surface every thirty seconds, forcing them to be constantly on the alert.

Relationships with people

Humans and dolphins have a long and complex history: until recently, animals were actively hunted, which led to the complete and partial extinction of some species. After the fishing was banned, the situation improved, but a new trend appeared: to catch these animals for the show (especially since they are very smart and grasp everything on the fly) and giving people far from the sea the opportunity to swim with dolphins. It should be noted that the idea is not the best, because if in natural conditions the inhabitants of the sea live from thirty to fifty years, in captivity - only seven.

Their early death is primarily influenced by a too passive lifestyle, even despite constant training for participation in the show, extremely limited space and the quality of water: the lack of a complete set of nutrients and minerals they need in it.

Recently, people and dolphins have learned to interact better (first of all, this applies to humans, since these animals are sociable, friendly and peaceful). Moreover, communication with these mammals is beneficial to almost everyone: giving the opportunity to listen to dolphin songs, chat, stroke the blue back, feed fish, swim with dolphins, psychotherapists and doctors effectively use to treat such diseases in children as cerebral palsy, early childhood autism, etc.