| Dolphins are amazing creatures. Here are some wild | | | | being as intelligent as a two year old human child. |
| facts about them! | | | | Dolphins can even learn to understand complicated |
| Dolphin fact #1 | | | | commands, even bits of language, which they can use |
| In humans, when we breathe, it is something we don't | | | | to communicate in a simple way with their trainers. |
| have to think about. A part of our brains, called the | | | | Dolphin Fact #4 |
| Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) tells our bodies to | | | | Dolphins eat several kind of fish, and squid. How much |
| breathe. For Dolphins, this isn't the case. In fact, a | | | | a dolphin eats depends a lot on what type of fish or |
| dolphin has to consciously make a decision to take a | | | | squid they eat. Some fish, such as mackerel or herring, |
| breath each and every time. This brings us to Dolphin | | | | have a lot of fat in them. This means that a Dolphin will |
| fact #2. | | | | get alot of energy from eating these fish. However, |
| Dolphin fact #2 | | | | squid does not have much fat, so a Dolphin has to eat |
| A Dolphin cannot breathe then, if it's brain is shut down | | | | more squid to get the same kind of energy it would |
| to sleep. Well, Dolphins are very special, because they | | | | get from fish. On average, however, a 250 kg dolphin |
| only sleep with one part of their brain at a time. If you | | | | will typically eat between 10 kg and 22.5 kg of fish |
| look at an image of a dolphin's brain, you will see that | | | | every day. |
| the dolphin actually has something similar to two | | | | Dolphin Fact #5 |
| seperate brains. So, one part of the brain will sleep, | | | | The life expectancy of a Dolphin differs from region to |
| while the other part takes care of breathing. Then, the | | | | region. For instance, in Sarasota Bay, the life |
| first part will go to sleep, while the second part | | | | expectancy of a Dolphin has been measured to be |
| continues to breathe. A Dolphin will continue to sleep | | | | nearly 25 years. In the Indian/Banana River region, the |
| like this until he is rested. These cycles take two to | | | | life expectancy of a Dolphin has been calculated to be |
| three minutes each. At night, those naps increase to | | | | between 10 and 14 years. The maximum ages that |
| seven or eight minutes. | | | | Dolphins have been recorded to have lived have been |
| Dolphin Fact #3 | | | | between 40 and 50 years. Dolphins in captivity have |
| Dolphins are very smart creatures. They are fast | | | | not shown any difference in life expectancy from wild |
| learners, and can generalize about subject, just like pigs | | | | Dolphins. |
| can. Dolphins sometimes have been described as | | | | |