DOLPHINS

DOLPHINS

What does a dolphin eat? Dolphins eat a variety of different foods. Some of them eat fish, such as mackerel, herring and cod, while others eat squid. Large dolphins, such as Orcas may eat other marine mammals, such as sea lions or sea turtles. How much a dolphin eats depends alot on what type of fish or squid they eat. Some fish, such as mackerel or herring, have alot of fat in them. This means that a Dolphin will get alot of energy from eating these fish. However, squid does not have much fat, so a Dolphin has to eat more squid to get the same kind of energy it would get from fish. On average, however, a 250 kg dolphin will typically eat between 10 kg and 22.5 kg of fish every day. Dolphins hunt using a couple of different methods. Some types of Dolphins will work together to surround a school of fish, and then take turns swimming through, while eating all the fish they can. This is called herding.

Other types of dolphins strike fish with their tails, in order to stun the fish, so they can eat it. This is called whacking. Sometimes, a dolphin will send a very loud CLICK! thought the water at the fish. The loud noise will shock the fish, and leave it in a stupor. This is called stunning. Dolphins will sometimes herd a school of fish into shallow water, to make it hard for the fish to escape. This is called coralling. Lastly, some dolphins will pick up a sponge, and use it to push through the mud on the bottom of shallow parts of the ocean, looking for food. This is called foraging.

Where do dolphins live Dolphins live in all oceans of the planet and even in some important rivers. While not all species of dolphins live everywhere, there is a species for each environment. Specifically one of the best known species, the bottlenose dolphin lives in every ocean of the world except the Arctic and the Antarctic oceans. The Atlantic spotted dolphin, lives all over the tropical and temperate areas of the Atlantic Ocean avoiding the Artic and Antartic regions. The Pink Dolphin lives in the Amazon river.

The best known dolphin, the bottlenose dolphin is gray with a lighter belly. However there are dolphins for all tastes of colours. The common dolphin is a combinations of dark gray with white. The commerson dolphin is black and white like the killer whale which is the largest dolphin and also it is black and white. There is even a pink dolphin, which is the one who lives in the Amazon river.

Characteristics, colour size and shape of dolphins Bottlenose dolphins have two flippers and a tail. They are different than other dolphins because they have a pointy snout that makes them look like they are smiling. Dolphins have a blowhole at the top of their heads that they use to breathe. They have upper and lower jaws that have 20-26 pairs of small teeth. Dolphins have a dorsal fin which keeps them steady while they are swimming and two tail flukes for moving up and down.  Male dolphins are called bulls and weigh between 300 and 500 pounds. Females, called cows are a little smaller. Newborns , called calves weigh about 25 pounds.  

Bottlenose Dolphins have different colours on them Bottlenose Dolphins have different colours on them. Their upper half is black, blue, or gray. Their sides are lighter and their bottom is light gray or pinkish white. Their colours are different so the dolphin can fool his predators. When they are seen, they don't look The common dolphin is a combinations of dark gray with white. The commerson dolphin is black and white like the killer whale which is the largest dolphin and also it is black and white. There is even a pink dolphin, which is the one who lives in the Amazon river.

why, when ,where and how does dolphins migrate Some species of dolphins migrate. Some species travel hundreds of kilometres in circular territory, probably for food. Dolphins do not migrate in significantly large numbers in regular definitive patterns. Some do move seasonally, however, although usually not in the great lengths we see in animals such as geese and other birds In latitudes with more extremes in winter weather, such as the North Atlantic coast of the United States, more dolphins are found in the southern waters during winter.

After the female gives birth, she usually hangs around other females with calves the same age. Cows take good care of their calves.   The mother and aunt, usually called Auntie, swim very close to the calf and whistle softly to soothe it. When the mother hunts, she leaves her calf with auntie who is the "babysitter". The calf drinks milk from her mother. The milk is sprayed into the calf's mouth because it has a beak and cannot suck. When the calf is eight months old, it will eat solid food. When the calf is two years old, mother and calf will join the rest of the herd if the calf is swimming strongly enough. When the calf is fully independent from "mom", if male, he will go off to join an all male herd. If female, she may find another female herd, or she may stay with her mother.