1. By Patrick Yowan
Dolphins

2. Physical Features
A dolphin’s skin is very smooth and firm. They have broad flippers. Their tail helps them swim through the water. They only have one nostril on the top of their head. Its called a blowhole. Dolphins try to avoid getting water into their blowhole because it will get into their lungs.

3. Lifespan - how long it lives. Is it Endangered?
Dolphins sometimes die when they get caught by fishermen and also dolphins become stranded on the beach and die. The average lifespan for a dolphin is 25 years.

4. Scientific Name
There are lots of dolphins and they all have different kinds of scientific names. The scientific name for the Humpback dolphin is Sousa Chinensis.

5. Habitat
Dolphins live on the coast of New Zealand in big schools of dolphins out in the open seas. The rushing sound could be heard from miles away.

6. Climate
Dolphins live in all oceans. Salt water keeps their skin smooth. Most dolphins swim in warm waters near the equator. Some dolphins can also be found in warm rivers.

7. Food
Dolphins love to eat fish. They do that by getting a school of dolphins and swimming around the group of fish. Then the dolphins trap the fish and eat the fish. That means dolphins are carnivores which means dolphins eat meat.

8. Prey and Predator
Dolphins eat fish by swimming around them and trapping them. Killer whales eat dolphins by swimming around the dolphins and trapping them. That’s the same way dolphins eat their prey!

9. Behavior
Dolphins are very playful. Sometimes dolphins come up very close to the shore. Dolphins are also very intelligent because they can do very hard tricks.

10. Babies
Dolphin calves stay with their mother for 3 to 6 weeks. At birth they weigh 30 to 60 pounds and they’re 35 to 50 inches long. They are toothless for several weeks.

11. Behavioral
Dolphins have been known to help each other when a dolphin is ill or injured. In such cases, the healthy dolphins swim on either side of the weak dolphin, supporting it with their flippers so that it can breathe.

12. Interesting Facts
Dolphins have jelly in their eyes because it keeps salt water from irritating them. Diving dolphins always cover their blowholes because they don’t want water getting into their lungs. Dolphins use their flippers to swim through the water. Their flippers are firm and smooth and look like pointed paddles. But inside they are five sets of bones just like human fingers. A dorsal on a dolphin’s back may help keep the dolphin’s balance when the dolphins are swimming.