In which seas are there dolphins? Black Sea dolphins and dolphinariums

Dolphin in an enclosure India has become the 4th country to ban the keeping of dolphins in captivity. Previously, similar measures were taken by Costa Rica, Hungary and Chile. Indians call dolphins “a person or person of other origin than “homo sapiens.” Accordingly, the “person” must have its own rights, and its exploitation for commercial purposes is legally unacceptable. Scientists who analyze animal behavior (ethologists) say that it is very difficult to determine the line separating human intelligence and emotions from the nature of dolphins.

The dolphin is the only mammal whose birth literally begins with the tail, and not with the head! Young dolphins stay with their mother for 2 or 3 years.

In nature, there are almost forty species of dolphins, their closest relatives are whales and sea cows. Dolphins evolved relatively recently - about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Most dolphin species live in salt water, but there are also freshwater animals.

Adult dolphins reach sizes from 1.2 m in length and weight from 40 kg (river dolphin), to 9.5 m and 10 tons (killer whale). The brain is the largest organ in a dolphin's body. During sleep, part of the brain is awake, allowing the dolphin to breathe while sleeping so it doesn't drown! The life of a dolphin directly depends on access to oxygen.

Dolphins have a weak sense of smell, but excellent vision and absolutely unique hearing. Producing powerful sound impulses, they are capable of echolocation, which allows them to perfectly navigate in the water, find each other and food.

Dolphins can swim at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour for long periods of time. This is approximately 3 times faster than the fastest swimmers in the world.

They also love to do... surfing! For example, surfing dolphins can often be observed off the coast of Hawaii.

The history of interaction between man and dolphin begins with the first mention of these animals. It was recently discovered that the body language of dolphins largely corresponds to the rules of human verbal communication. Communication with dolphins has a positive effect on the human body, especially on the child’s psyche. British experts came to this conclusion back in 1978. Since that time, the development of “dolphin therapy” began. It is now used to treat many physical and mental illness, including autism, and other ailments. Swimming with dolphins relieves chronic pain, improves immunity and even helps children develop speech!

A dolphin and a pregnant woman off the coast of Ixtapa, Mexico. Ixtapa, MexicoPicture: CATERS An absolutely unique feature of dolphins is that they can “look inside” a person, like an ultrasound device - for example, they quickly determine a woman’s pregnancy. The feeling of “new life” often excites dolphins very emotionally; they react violently and joyfully to pregnant women, and, as a rule, pregnant women are not allowed to swim in the enclosures (although this may be true) best time for communication), so as not to take away the attention of animals from other visitors, and to avoid an involuntary “emotional attack” on the unborn baby.

A touching example of human care for animals: a 10-day-old dolphin who lost its mother is being fed at the shelter.

He already has best friend- little penguin

Dolphins easily and friendly communicate with other animals, and they reciprocate.

Both adults and children love dolphins. These mammals seem incredibly intelligent, and interacting with them even has a therapeutic effect! Find out ten interesting facts about them.

There are more than thirty species of dolphins

Dolphins are marine animals found throughout the world. There are more than thirty types of them. All of them are predators, feeding on fish and squid, and sometimes even seals and other marine animals. Most species inhabit the ocean. But there are also five species that live in rivers. Interestingly, most likely they did not descend from a common ancestor, but developed in parallel. Some river dolphins closer to oceanic than to other river species. Research has shown that river dolphins are descended from ocean dolphins, which moved to fresh water due to competition with other species.

Dolphins can be from a meter to ten meters long

The smallest dolphin of all lives on Maui - its length is about a meter. The largest are killer whales, also known as killer whales. This name is erroneous, because these are not whales, but a type of dolphin.

Dolphin ancestors began living in water fifty-five million years ago

Nature often hides amazing facts. Researchers managed to find out the incredible - dolphins descended from land mammals that began living in the ocean about fifty million years ago. It was so long ago that other species descended from those land creatures are giraffes and hippos. The dolphin skeleton contains reduced bones that were once paws. They are present in dolphins of all species. What's interesting is that whales seem quite similar to dolphins, but they are completely different.

Killer whales are dolphins ten meters in size

The most surprising fact about dolphins is that they are also killer whales. Killer whales live all over the world from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Their features are so different from those of dolphins because their last common ancestor was eleven million years ago. Since then, killer whales have evolved in their own way, different from other species. Some scientists distinguish from three to five subspecies of these creatures, which differ in external and some other features. However, it is possible that differences are simply formed under the influence of habitat - in coastal waters, in the deep sea, or during migration between these two territories.

Dolphins from the Amazon can turn their heads ninety degrees and have a goatee.

During adaptation to underwater life, these creatures lost the fur that their ancestors had. But when dolphins are just born, they still have it around their mouth. Then she disappears - unless we are talking about Amazon dolphins. This species is distinguished by fur that remains near the mouth for life. The fur helps to better determine direction in the dark waters of the jungle, making it easier for dolphins to find their prey. In addition, this species has special neck bones - the Amazonian dolphin can turn its head ninety degrees.

Dolphins hear ten times better than humans

Dolphins have incredibly keen senses, which makes them such excellent hunters. They have excellent vision, as well as incredibly acute hearing. Using a variety of clicks and squeaks, they find their prey using echolocation. They pick up all sounds, like a perfect radar, with a special organ located in lower jaw. This is a chamber filled with fat that connects the jaw to the inner ear. All vibrations are transmitted through the jaw to the ear.

Dolphins only eat meat

Dolphins seem to be the cutest creatures of all the inhabitants of the sea. Even killer whales seem cute to some. You can often see children's toys in the form of these predatory creatures. Don't be fooled - these are carnivores that feed exclusively on meat! They usually catch fish, but they can also eat other creatures, from squid to seals, and killer whales can even kill whales that are larger than them. There is not a single predator that could cope with the killer whale - this is the most severe inhabitant of the ocean. Even river species are exclusively predatory. Humans are not usually of interest to dolphins, but there have been cases of killer whales eating their trainers when kept in zoos.

Dolphins gather in large schools

These are very sociable animals. They are known to communicate in a variety of sounds. Each has its own whistle, by which others recognize it. They even have names! In addition, these mammals gather in large groups that not only hunt, but also simply live together. Groups of up to a thousand individuals are known.

Bottlenose dolphins teach each other how to use tools

In addition to a wide range of sounds, which some scientists compare to language, bottlenose dolphins can use tools. If we take into account the presence of both language and the ability to use objects, we can say that this species of dolphins has a culture. Bottlenose dolphins live in the Indian and Pacific oceans. They hunt fish in a special way among the sand and rocks on the ocean floor. To avoid damaging their mouths on rocks, dolphins loosen the sand with a sponge held in their teeth, thereby scaring the fish. This tactic is passed on from mother bottlenose dolphin to her cubs. Other species know how to use sticks and seaweed during mating games. Obviously, these are the most intellectually developed animals on the planet after humans.

People and dolphins fish together in the Santa Catarina Lagoon

People have been able to cooperate with these mammals since the time of the Roman Empire. Fishermen can fish with them. Here's how it happens: dolphins catch a school of fish in a net. When a fish is caught, the fishermen share part of the catch with their colleagues. This technique is still used today in Brazil, in the Santa Catarina Lagoon. U naval forces The United States of America has a training program for these creatures. They can be trained for military operations. Mammals can find mines and save people drowning in the sea. They were used to participate in war in the middle of the last century, although the exact data about this remains classified.

Dolphins have long been one of the most beloved waterfowl for humans. And this is not surprising! After all, dolphins are the most peaceful, intelligent and friendly creatures on the planet! When we talk about dolphins, we always imagine trained cetacean creatures performing acrobatic tricks. However, there are countries that are categorically against dolphinariums, believing that these smart creatures should not live outside natural environment, after all, from year to year the number of dolphins decreases significantly. And only the human factor is to blame for this.

A little history

It is assumed that the sperm whale, whale, dolphin, including the porpoise descended from the same ancestors - mammals that inhabited the earth millions of years ago, but were not strictly land animals, but rather loved to hunt and live in the water. These are mesonychids - omnivorous creatures with hooves like those of horses and cows, with a predatory, wolf-like appearance. According to approximate data, mesonychids lived for more than sixty million years, and they inhabited the modern continent of Asia, part Mediterranean Sea(in ancient times it was the Tethys Sea). These animals most likely ate any small aquatic animals and any fish that then inhabited the numerous swamps off the coast.

And due to the fact that mesonychids spent most of their lives in any body of water, their appearance gradually began to develop in width, streamlined, their limbs turned into fins, while the hair on the skin began to disappear, and underneath it, thick subcutaneous fat developed and intensified. To make it easier for animals to breathe, the nostrils ceased to fulfill their original function: in the process of evolution, they became a vital organ for the animal, since creatures could breathe through them, and all thanks to their displacement to the top of the head.

Even if it was believed for a long time that the ancestors of cetaceans, including dolphins, were indeed mesonychids, they still “borrowed” most of all from hippopotamuses, and this is proven by numerous molecular studies. Dolphins are not just descendants of these artiodactyls, they are also deeply similar and part of their group. Until now, hippos and hippos live mainly in water; they only spend a couple of hours on land to eat. That is why scientists suggest that hippos are one of the evolutionary branches of cetaceans. It’s just that whales went further than hippos, they completely abandoned life on land and completely switched to life in the water.

And if the relationship between hippopotamuses with hooves and legless cetaceans seems strange to you, then we would like to give another version of the taxonomy, for example, land animals with 4 legs that evolved from fish. It’s just that we shouldn’t be surprised that long before our civilization appeared, the evolution of dolphins proceeded so rapidly.

Description of dolphins

Dolphins are large waterfowl that breathe air, unlike fish, whose breathing function is provided by gills. Sea dolphins are in the water all 24 hours, and this is where they give birth to little dolphins. Since the female feeds her babies herself, they are therefore warm-blooded creatures, mammals.

Unlike their relatives, whales, dolphins are more beautiful creatures. Apart from sharp teeth, no sinister intrigues can be found in their intelligent and friendly gaze. So, an adult dolphin can be 2.5 meters long and weigh only three hundred kilograms. Whereas it can be nine meters long and weigh eight tons. Males are always larger than females, by at least 20 centimeters. They have more than eighty teeth. The color of the body and fins is black or gray, while the belly is white.

The largest body cetacean dolphins have a brain that is amazingly awake all the time while the dolphin is sleeping. The brain allows the animal to breathe all the time, even when it is sleeping: this way the dolphin will not drown, because the supply of oxygen for cetaceans is very important for life.

Scientists have called dolphin skin a natural miracle. This is their wealth! When dolphins calmly dampen the water turbulence, when the body needs to slow down a little.

This is interesting!
The creators of submarines have long looked closely at how dolphins swim. Thanks to the dolphins, the designers were able to create an artificial skin for the submarine.

Dolphins: what they eat and how they hunt

shellfish, different kinds fish and other aquatic animals are the food of the dolphin. Interestingly, dolphins can eat a lot of fish in a day. Dolphins hunt fish in schools, and each member of the school can eat up to thirty kilograms. All this is due to the fact that dolphins are animals that, when too low temperature conditions Ocean or sea water (below zero degrees Celsius) must always maintain its own temperature so that it is optimal. And warm-blooded dolphins are helped in this by thick subcutaneous fat, which is constantly replenished through huge amounts of food. That is why dolphins are always on the move, hunting, and only at night allow themselves to rest a little.

A school of dolphins can very quickly catch up with a school of fish, because in the sea these animals are aces. If the dolphins are already close to the beach, they instantly form half rings around the fish in order to push their future food to the shallow water and eat there. As soon as dolphins capture schools of fish, they do not immediately rush at them, but then continue to keep them in a circle so that they do not swim away, and each member of the pod can have lunch or dinner with their favorite food.

To see dolphins, just look for a school of fish. These cetaceans will definitely live where there are a lot of fish. In summer, dolphins can be found in abundance in Azov, when mullet and anchovy move to the sea to feed. Dolphins also swim close to the Caucasian shores in early autumn, when fish begin to migrate in herds.

As you may have noticed, it is rare to see one dolphin in the ocean, since these animals are very friendly, love to live in schools, hunt together, and even dolphins can jump beautifully and perform their tricks together with their comrades. Be that as it may, dolphins never got along with killer whales. There are also still poachers who hunt these friendly earthly creatures. Despite everything, dolphins trust people and even know how to communicate not only with each other, but also with other animals. They will never leave their comrades in trouble. And in case of severe danger, they can even help a person. There are so many legends and stories in the world about dolphins saving people’s lives. Some even watched as dolphins pushed boats that were carried away by the winds to the shores.

Dolphin breeding

Unlike other inhabitants water world, dolphins are the only ones that are born with tails, not heads. And that's true. Loving mothers do not leave their babies even two or three years after birth.

This is interesting!
Dolphins are incredibly sensual and compassionate animals. A little dolphin, even after it becomes a completely independent adult male or female, never leaves its parents under any circumstances.

And not only do dolphins experience great affection and love for their own fellow creatures, but even for whales, other animals (they don’t like killer whales) and for people. Once a female and male have babies, they never leave each other, even after having numerous babies. Who else but dolphins know how to love their young, tenderly and lovingly treat them, teach them, take them hunting, so that soon the children themselves know how to hunt fish.

This is interesting!
If dolphins are hunting and sense danger, they lead their babies behind, but if there are no external threats, the baby dolphins calmly swim in front of their parents. Interestingly, after the cubs the females swim, and then the males - the protectors.

Relationships with people

Since each dolphin lives in peace and harmony with its fellow tribesmen and whales, it behaves accordingly. The sense of help in these animals is particularly developed. They will never leave a sick dolphin to die; they will even save a choking person at sea if, by a lucky chance, they find themselves nearby. Dolphins can hear a person’s cry for help far away, since their hearing is very developed, as is their brain.

The fact is that dolphins spend all their time in the water, which is why their vision is weakened (weak water transparency). Then, the hearing is perfectly developed. The dolphin uses an active location - the hearing is able to analyze the echo that occurs when it produces characteristic sounds from any objects surrounding the animal. Based on this, the echo tells the dolphin what shape and length the objects around him are, what they are made of, and in general, what they are. As you can see, hearing fully helps fulfill the visual role for the dolphin, which does not prevent this peace-loving creature from feeling complete in such a complex world.

It's easy for a person to tame a dolphin. Fortunately, like a dog, the animal is easy and simple to train. All you have to do is entice the dolphin with a delicious fish. He will perform any somersault for the public. Although dolphins have one flaw, they can forget any trick very quickly if a person forgets to feed them on time.

Why do we all treat dolphins differently than other animals? Looking at these cute and funny creatures, you forget about how huge these animals are, and how, despite their size, they are the only cetaceans that can safely be classified as the best “friends”.

Dolphins are like grandmothers on a bench, overly curious. They swim up to a person with interest, flirt with him, throw a ball, and even smile, although few people notice this. They are designed to smile at us, laugh with us. Well, we can’t call a dolphin’s face a muzzle, the smile on their face is cheerful and friendly – that’s what attracts us to them!

Dolphins love us, we love them. But there are... heartless people who, for the sake of profit, forget about humanity and kill these peaceful creatures. In Japan, dolphin hunting is amazing! They don't even think about talking about sympathy for dolphins. On other continents, dolphins are placed in dolphinariums for the amusement of people. In cramped conditions in which they do not live longer than five years (for comparison, in nature, dolphins live up to fifty years).

This is interesting!
The Indian state has become the fourth state in the world to ban the construction of dolphinariums. The first countries to ban keeping these cetaceans in captivity were Asian Chile, Costa Rica, and Hungary. For Indians, dolphins are the same as a person who also has the right to freedom and life in nature.

Dolphin therapy

The history of the great friendship between sea dolphins and humans goes far into the past, even before scientists began to call these animals dolphins. Researchers of the body language of cetaceans have come to the conclusion that they have developed verbal communication abilities in the same way as humans. If a mentally ill child, an autist, spends a lot of time with dolphins and “communicates” with them, then this will have a beneficial effect on him. The child begins to smile and laugh. The British talked about this back in the 70s of the last century. Subsequently, dolphin therapy began to be actively used to treat not only mental and neurological diseases, but also many physical ones. Swimming with dolphins together is useful, you can relieve stress, strong headache, neuralgia and even rheumatism.

Abnormalities in behavior

All of you have probably seen this picture on the news or on the Internet, when the beaches are full of dolphins that have stranded themselves. Often they are thrown out on their own because they are very sick, injured, or poisoned. Dolphins clearly hear sounds from the shore, which are very similar to cries for help from their fellows. Therefore, upon hearing such a cry, dolphins rush to the shore to help, and often find themselves trapped.

Aquatic mammals of the suborder of toothed whales, closely related to porpoises. Dolphins, like all cetaceans, breathe air, periodically rising to the surface to inhale through a single modified nostril - a blowhole located on the crown of the head. They feed primarily on fish and squid, although some species prefer shrimp and other crustaceans, and killer whales also eat sea turtles, aquatic mammals and birds. In most dolphins, males are larger than females and in some species they have a higher dorsal fin. After a gestation period of 12 to 16 months, depending on the species, a single calf is born. The mother feeds it underwater with milk for at least six months, and sometimes up to two years, starting to wean it from the nipple after 6-18 months. Individuals up to 50 years old are known, although most species have a maximum lifespan of 20-25 years.

Species of the dolphin family (Delphinidae) They live in all open seas and sometimes enter the mouths of large rivers. Representatives of the family of freshwater, or river, dolphins (Platanistidae) have a much more limited distribution. For the most part they inhabit inland fresh water bodies, although some of them can penetrate brackish-water estuaries and even coastal zones of the seas. The family Stenidae includes species that live in the seas, fresh waters or in both of these environments. Externally, dolphins are distinguished primarily by their protruding beak, which is clearly demarcated from the forehead. The exception is a few species with a convex, spherical forehead. Depending on the species, dolphins have from 2 to 250 conical teeth. The dorsal fin, if present, is usually crescent-shaped rather than triangular; if it is not curved, then it is very high, like that of a male killer whale. Freshwater dolphins are distinguished by the fact that their cervical vertebrae are separated, like terrestrial mammals, and not fused into a single bone. Some species of this family, in addition to conical teeth, have molar-shaped teeth, i.e. close in structure to the indigenous ones. The dorsal fin is usually very low, in the form of a ridge; only in the Laplatan dolphin it is the same as in the delphinids. Most dolphins live in schools and can, like the common dolphin, form huge aggregations. However, their groups are usually small: from 2-3 to approximately 100 individuals. At least some species seem to have a distinct social organization. Dolphins are generally very active and often swim extremely fast, occasionally jumping out of the water. Some species, such as the long-snouted dolphin, even perform intricate figures in the air, while others like to swing on the waves diverging from the bow of a moving vessel. Most dolphins have a wide repertoire of sounds produced. Firstly, these are impulse signals of two main types: echolocation and expressing an emotional state. Secondly, dolphins make monotonous sounds that resemble a whistle. In individuals of some species, its frequency is individual and is used to recognize each other by members of the pack. In addition, the volume and frequency of the whistle reflect the emotional state of the dolphin. In some individuals, auxiliary monotonous signals are noted - also stereotypical and characteristic of each of them. Non-local pulses, called chirps, come in many types that are typically species-specific rather than individual-specific. Attempts are being made to find a connection between various chirps and the behavior of dolphins, but all chirps are for the most part similar to each other and smoothly transition into each other. Although such signals reflect a particular emotional state, it is clearer to other dolphins than to human observers, and there is no evidence that these sounds actually constitute language in the human sense. The same can be said for monotonous whistles.
DOLPHIN FAMILY
This family includes many species of sea dolphins. Below we will consider some of its most famous and rare representatives. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops). Of the species of this genus, the most famous is the Atlantic, or simply bottlenose dolphin (T. truncatus), widely distributed in warm waters all over the world. Sometimes several of its subspecies are distinguished, which some scientists consider independent species. Bottlenose dolphins are widely used for research and training. Their body is grayish, up to 3.6 m long (in captivity it is rarely more than 2.4 m). All bottlenose dolphins eat fish; on each side of the upper and lower jaws they have approx. 20-25 teeth. Although sexual maturity occurs at 7-8 years, at least the males reproduce most actively, becoming approximately twice as old. Pregnancy lasts about a year, and the cubs are fed milk until 18 months, although they begin to consume solid food a year earlier. Immediately after birth, the baby floats to the surface on its own to breathe in air. For the first few months he stays close to his mother. Her fast swimming does not violate this close physical connection, since the female, by slightly increasing her energy expenditure, generates hydrodynamic forces, with the help of which she ensures the movement of both herself and the calf. Bottlenose dolphins usually migrate in small schools of fewer than a dozen individuals, but sometimes several hundred animals can be seen at once. It is these dolphins that most often flash along beaches, in shallow bays and estuaries, although in cold waters you can often see common porpoises there. Wild bottlenose dolphins have been observed in New Zealand, Florida and Scotland regularly playing with people swimming. Such individuals were always found in the same areas and, it seems, were not at all afraid of humans, even allowing themselves to be touched. But such cases are rare. Bottlenose dolphins often bob on the waves in front of the bows of sailing ships - usually this is the closest contact with humans that they allow in nature. Sound signals and echolocation abilities have also been studied, mainly in bottlenose dolphins. They most often tried to attribute the existence of language, but this hypothesis has not yet been confirmed. The white-sided dolphin (Delphinus delphis) from the genus of common dolphins is one of the most common members of the family in the Mediterranean Sea. This is a very beautiful dolphin, with black circles around the eyes and yellow and gray markings on the sides, the pattern of which resembles the letter "X". Sometimes in the open sea you can see a huge number of these slender, bright animals at once. Squirrels inhabit warm and temperate seas around the world. They are usually divided into three subspecies: one in the Atlantic and, possibly, the Indian Oceans, another in the Pacific and a third in the Black Sea. Independent, although closely related forms are sometimes isolated for South Africa, Japan and the Red Sea. Female white-sided moths give birth to a calf approximately 3 times every 4 years and feed it for 4-5 months. It is believed that the maximum lifespan of this species is more than 20 years. Short-headed dolphins (Lagenorhynchus) are represented by several species: depending on the classification used, their number can reach up to six. Representatives of this genus usually inhabit colder waters than other dolphins, and some species even reach pack ice. One of them, the Pacific striped dolphin (L. obliquidens), is regularly exhibited in several aquariums and is remarkable for its ability to jump over a high-hanging bar. When short-headed dolphins live with other species of the family, they are very friendly and caring towards other people's offspring. Their flocks are not as large as those of white sideds, but sometimes number up to 1,500 individuals. Distinctive feature genus - a distinct groove on the beak, but the beak itself is not as long as in many other dolphins, and is not as noticeable to the casual observer. As a result, from a distance they can be confused with porpoises. Dolphins (Stenella) are very diverse in color, number of teeth and other structural features. This is the largest genus of the family in terms of the number of species, and many of them are quite common. Experts believe that the taxonomy for this group is poorly developed. The number of teeth, depending on the species, ranges from 37 to 50 on each side of each jaw. The coloration varies from light spots on a dark background to similar to the pattern of the common dolphin, having a dark back and stripes around the head and on the sides on a light background. Some dolphins are long and slender, with a very elongated snout, while others have a more massive body and a much shorter snout. Most species live far offshore in tropical and temperate waters around the world. They are good swimmers and often bob on the waves in front of ships. Atlantic spotted dolphin (S. plagiodon) and its close relative from the eastern part Pacific Ocean S. graffimani is sometimes shown in aquariums. The first species is a spectacular jumper, often jumping over the head of the person feeding it. In captivity, dolphins feed on fish, but in nature their favorite food is squid. The striped dolphin (S. caeruleoalba) is a commercial species in Japan; sometimes it is shown to the public. Pilot whales, or ball-headed dolphins (Globicephala), are a very large species: the animals reach a length of 6.5 m and a mass of approx. 2 tons. They are characterized by a huge pillow on the forehead containing viscous fat. The body is black with a white mark on the chest and the same line below the middle of the belly. This pattern, as well as the light "saddle" on the back behind the dorsal fin, typical of some forms, are not always clearly defined. There are three types. Pilot whales typically live in warm to temperate waters, but may migrate into relatively cold areas during the summer. It has been proven that they have seasonal migrations, carried out in flocks of up to several hundred individuals. They all often move forward, simultaneously emerging and submerging, as if at the command of the leader. Apparently, the flocks sometimes stop to rest, but even then their formation usually remains military-correct, and the animals surface to take a breath as synchronously as during movement. Sometimes entire flocks of pilot whales are thrown onto land and die. The reasons for this behavior are unknown. Pilot whales feed almost exclusively on squid, but in captivity their diet may include fish. Females usually reach sexual maturity at 6-7 years, and males sometimes only at 12 years. Pregnancy lasts approx. 16 months Although the cub can eat solid food from 6 months of age, milk feeding continues until 2 years of age. The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest and most beautiful species of dolphin, distinguished by its striking black and white pattern; their weight is up to 8 tons. This type inhabits all seas, from the coldest to the warmest, staying mostly close to the coast. It is the only cetacean that feeds on aquatic mammals in addition to fish. sea turtles and birds. Killer whales are characterized by pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males reach a length of 9 m - a meter and a half more than females. In addition, their dorsal fin is high and almost straight, while in adult females it is approximately half as low and curved. Unlike most dolphins, the killer whale's pectoral flippers are not pointed and sickle-shaped, but wide and paddle-shaped. These animals are very voracious and hunt in packs, attacking not only small animals, but also huge baleen whales, from whose bodies they tear pieces of meat. In addition to being warm-blooded, killer whales eat a large number of fish, which actually forms the basis of their diet. Despite the bad reputation of these animals, called "killer whales", there is no conclusive evidence of their attacks on humans. In contrast, in captivity, orcas are very docile and allow people to ride on their backs, and the trainer can put his head into their open mouth without fear. They are highly trainable, able to jump almost completely out of the water and perform complex sets of exercises. The small or black killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), with large sharp teeth, is very similar to the common killer whale, and in size and color it resembles a pilot whale, differing in a much more streamlined body shape. There are no records of this species attacking warm-blooded marine animals, but its feeding method is unusual: the killer whale often grabs very large fish and tears them apart in much the same way as the common killer whale tears seals, small dolphins or porpoises. Like pilot whales, these animals sometimes wash ashore. The gray dolphin (Grampus griseus) is very similar in appearance to the pilot whale, but differs in the presence of teeth, usually only on the lower jaw, a deep groove on the forehead and big amount scars scattered all over the body. Males have especially many of them: it is believed that in most cases these are traces of battles with relatives. The markings are so distinctive that they were previously mistaken for being part of the gray dolphin's natural pigmentation. This species feeds mainly on squid and lives in all seas except the polar ones.
Other dolphins. The dolphin family includes many rare or little-known species. The pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata) looks very similar to the pygmy killer whale, but is much smaller. It is found only in the South Pacific, off the coasts of Japan and Senegal, and is rarely kept in captivity. The Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) has two subspecies. One lives in the Irrawaddy River in Burma, and the other in the seas from the Bay of Bengal to Borneo and Java. The beakless or broad-snouted dolphin (Peponocephala electra) is found in the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. There are two species of dorsal-finned whale dolphins (Lissodelphis): the northern one (L. borealis) is found in the North Pacific Ocean, and the southern one (L. peroni) is found in the temperate zone of the Southern Hemisphere. The genus of beaked, or motley, dolphins (Cephalorhynchus) includes several southern, mainly cold-water species. They small size, characterized by a bright black and white color. The Sarawak dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) is known only from one skeleton found on the island of Borneo.
FAMILY STENIDAE
There is no Russian name for the family Stenidae. It includes both freshwater and marine forms with characteristic features buildings respiratory tract. Large-toothed dolphins (Steno) are a monotypic genus. Its only species, the common dolphin (S. bredanensis), is widespread in temperate and tropical seas, where it is found only offshore. Its snout is long, but not as sharply demarcated from the forehead as in most dolphins, but rather smoothly passing into the upper part of the head. The dark gray coloring of the back gradually becomes lighter on the sides and becomes very light on the belly. The species got its name because of its teeth with a ribbed, uneven surface. The biology of the animal has been little studied, but it is known that it feeds on fish, squid and octopuses. Although these dolphins are considered rare species, significant numbers are sometimes caught in the Hawaiian Islands to study vocalizations and local migrations. Like representatives of the dolphin family, they emit both monotonous whistles and various pulsed signals. The genus Sousa includes five species living off the coasts of Western and Southern Africa, China, Borneo and Indian Ocean. By appearance These are typical dolphins with a snout quite clearly demarcated from the forehead. Little is known about their biology. They feed mainly on fish, live mainly in the sea, but close to the shore and can enter rivers. The Chinese white or humpback dolphin (S. chinensis) lives mainly in fresh waters. There are two species of long-beaked dolphins (Sotalia). Both meet in South America, but in different ecological niches. The Guiana dolphin (S. guianensis) inhabits coastal sea waters and estuaries in northeastern South America from Rio de Janeiro to Venezuela. The Amazon dolphin, or tukashi (S. fluviatilis), lives only in the fresh waters of the Amazon basin and often swims into the flooded jungle during floods. Long-beaked dolphins feed on fish, but the details of their biology are still little known.
FAMILY OF FRESHWATER OR RIVER DOLPHINS
This family consists of four genera, one species in each. Three of them are exclusively freshwater. The fourth, South American, species lives in estuaries and in winter months can migrate along sea coasts. Amazonian Inia, or Bouto (Inia geoffrensis). Young animals are light gray, but with age they gradually acquire a pinkish tint. Their very long snout is covered with stiff hairs or bristles, which apparently serve a sensory function. Amazonian Hoi have an average of 25-27 teeth on each side of each jaw. The front teeth are pointed, conical, and the back teeth are somewhat similar to molars. Two types of teeth and unfused cervical vertebrae are primitive features for cetaceans. Inia feeds on fish, including those covered with bony plates, and its teeth are often heavily worn, apparently from chewing hard food. According to some reports, inia may have several subspecies. These freshwater cetaceans are common in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins and during floods they even penetrate into flooded forests, where they swim between the trees. When searching for food on the bottom, inias often turn belly up, perhaps because their thick cheeks would otherwise obstruct their view. Studies of the sounds they make have shown the presence of a rich repertoire of pulse signals, including echolocation, used for searching for food and research environment; however, no monotonal whistles were detected. The Gangetic dolphin, or susuk (Platanista gangetica), lives in the Indian rivers Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra. He is apparently blind, as his eyes lack a lens. However, the animals compensate for this deficiency by developing an unusual cup-shaped depression on the skull, which resembles an enlarged reflector of a flashlight and undoubtedly directs and concentrates echolocation signals. Studies of several living specimens of this species have demonstrated their apparently exceptional echolocation abilities. The Gangetic dolphin is believed to feed on freshwater shrimp and burrowing fish, which it catches by probing the bottom with its very long jaws. Surprisingly, this animal usually swims on its side. The Chinese lake dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer) lives in the central-eastern part of China in the Yangtze (Changjiang) and Qiangtang rivers, as well as lakes Dongting and Poyang. For a long time this species was classified as a member of the family Platanistidae, but is now often classified as an independent family Lipotidae. The animal reaches a length of 2.5 m, and the mass of one of the studied specimens was 160 kg. In appearance it is closest to the Amazonian inia. Chinese lake dolphins feed on fish, in particular catfish, which they pull out of the bottom mud with their long beaks. They usually move in pairs, forming a larger group of about ten individuals. The Laplatan dolphin (Pontoporia [] blainvillei) is unique among species of the family Platanistidae for several reasons. He lives not only in large river La Plata is in South America, but also exits it into purely marine coastal waters. Some features of his skeleton and good development dorsal fin. Some taxonomists have proposed placing it in the family Delphinidae. This small dolphin feeds on fish, shrimp and cephalopods.
See also CETACEAS.

Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .

See what "DOLPHINS" are in other dictionaries:

- (Delphininae), subfamily of dolphins. Most have a dorsal fin, the snout is elongated into a “beak”, and there are numerous teeth (more than 70). 50 species, 20 genera: sotalia, stenella, white-sided (unity, VID), cetacean D., short-headed D., beaked D. ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

DOLPHINS, a family of toothed whales. Length 1.2 10 m. Over 50 species, mainly in moderately warm waters, including fresh waters (river dolphins). Most are fast-swimming (up to 55 km/h) herd animals. When searching for prey and navigating under... ... Modern encyclopedia

There are about 40 species of dolphins and they all have different sizes and weights. These animals most often live in shallow seas and feed on fish and squid. Their name comes from the Greek word "Delphis", which means "belly", which can be interpreted as "fish having a womb". This article will introduce you to amazing facts about dolphins, because every lover wants to get to know them better.

Killer whales are dolphins.

The killer whale (killer whale) is the largest dolphin in the world. Who would have thought that these cute creatures could be of such a dangerous category? But it's true! This toothfish is distributed from the Arctic to the Antarctic (including tropical seas). The favorite food of killer whales is sea lions, walruses, seals and even whales.

The echolocator allows you to detect bombs.

We've all heard that dogs (and even rats) are trained to sniff out explosives. But who has heard of dolphins that can detect underwater mines? Most people have no idea about this. In fact, Navy specialists have the same training program used by dog handlers. You might be interested to know that dolphins' ability to detect bombs is as well known as the secret weapon of many countries' navies.

They hardly sleep

Imagine yourself staying awake for five days. This will definitely affect your mental health and state of mind. Dolphins can stay awake for up to five days (without much harm to health), and if they do sleep, it’s for a very short period of time. The fact is that these animals cannot breathe while sleeping. If a dolphin falls asleep, it will begin to choke and may die. Therefore, when animals rest, one half of their brain works and allows the animal to become conscious.

They are one of the most beloved animals

Dolphins are very popular among people and can be trained to perform various commands. Dolphins are famous for their playful, childlike attitude towards humans. These warm-blooded animals can be found playing near beaches and in almost all large aquariums and zoos (some people with large aquariums even domesticate them).

These animals almost never harm people and are distinguished by their friendliness and positive attitude towards humans. This is why games about dolphins are so popular on the modern Internet and many children love them.

They kill their children

Another strange fact that is difficult to explain is how such cute creatures can be so harsh that they can even kill their child? Several corpses of dolphin calves were examined in research centers by various scientists, who unanimously came to the conclusion that dolphins are one of those merciless animals that can kill their calf while fighting for existence.

They don't drink water

It seems amazing how you can be in water 24/7 and not drink it? Many of us will be interested to know that despite the fact that dolphins are aquatic creatures, they are allergic to sea water. If an animal drinks water, it will become seriously ill. Dolphins get all the fluid they need from food.

Some of the smartest animals

Dolphins are the smartest of all sea creatures. It was found that they can understand up to 60 words at a time and compose about 2,000 sentences from them. The dolphin brain weighs 2 kilograms more than the human brain, but has the same groove configuration as our brains. Studies have shown that dolphins' auditory areas are much more developed than those of humans. Therefore, they have excellent hearing and vision, and can find the exact location of an object using echolocation. In addition, these are very social animals that constantly communicate with each other.

Pink dolphins are really very difficult to find

All of us have probably heard about pink dolphins, but who has seen them with their own eyes? These animals are very difficult to spot and only a lucky few have had the chance to see them in person. Chinese whites and Amazon River species are what we call pink dolphins. Chinese Whites most often live in the Pearl River Delta (Pearl River), but are sometimes found in sea waters Southeast Asia, Australia and South Africa. River Amazons live in river systems Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia. Only these dolphins can change their color from gray to pink (only when they are young). Despite the fact that this species cannot stay under water for more than 4-5 minutes and the animals are mostly on the surface, it is very difficult to meet.

They live up to a maximum of 50 years

The lifespan of dolphins differs depending on different regions and the conditions prevailing in that region. The maximum age that dolphins can live to is 40 to 50 years. Marine biologists have calculated that the average lifespan of these creatures is 20-25 years, which is much less than the maximum age.

Facts about reproduction

Although dolphins reach sexual maturity at the age of ten, they do not begin to mate until they reach their 15th birthday. Mating takes place under water and lasts for 15 to 20 seconds (no more). The gestation period ranges from 10 to 12 months depending on the species of dolphin. The male dolphin plays no role in caring for the newborn.

A newly born baby is pushed to the surface by its mother to take its first breath. The entire group will then protect mother and child from sharks and other dangers. In addition, it was found that dolphins mate not only to reproduce, but also for pleasure.