| As a teacher myself who used to teach Science to | | | | calf is born; the mother will push it to the surface to |
| junior school students for years, I have seen a lot of | | | | allow it to take its first breath of air. |
| confusion about whales and dolphins and even some | | | | Another difference is the fact that dolphins and whales |
| frustration concerning their classification. | | | | have a skeleton made of bones contrary to fishes |
| What is the fuss all about? The frustration is basically | | | | which have theirs made of cartilage. Also, most fishes |
| coming into play when confused people talk about | | | | give birth to their babies by laying eggs then having the |
| both dolphins and whales as being fishes so when | | | | male fertilize them. Later on, the babies are on their |
| they are being corrected about it, they tend to hate it. | | | | own. |
| According to them, what lives in the water must be a | | | | The exception to the rule of laying eggs is the shark. |
| fish otherwise it wouldn't be there. Isn't that right? | | | | You see, sharks likes the great white shark are |
| Wrong! | | | | actually giving birth to several live pups but as soon as |
| The fact and the matter is that fishes like the great | | | | they are born, they must fend for themselves. Marine |
| white shark and marine mammals such as dolphins | | | | mammals such as whales and dolphins giving birth to |
| and whales are not under the same classification | | | | usually one calf, nourish them with maternal milk, raise |
| simply because of the way nature created their body, | | | | them to maturity and teach them all they know to help |
| the way it functions and differentiated their needs as | | | | them learn how to eventually fend for themselves. |
| well. | | | | When dolphins and whales are born, the have a thin |
| You see, fishes have gills and take their oxygen | | | | layer of hair covering their body. Fishes will be covered |
| directly from the water while marine mammals must | | | | with either scales or a rubbery type of skin such like |
| go to the surface approximately every 30 minutes to | | | | the one found on the great white shark. |
| inhale oxygen from directly from the air and get rid of | | | | As you can see, there is no way that dolphins and |
| the Carbon Dioxide using their blowhole otherwise they | | | | whales are fishes like the great white shark. There are |
| would drown. This process takes only a few seconds | | | | important differences. |
| but is necessary for their survival. This is why when a | | | | |