Dolphin Day is a day that is celebrated all over the world and is meant to raise awareness for this smart animal that lives in the sea.
In honor of Dolphin Day, here are some facts about the cute animal you may not have known:
There are almost 40 species of dolphins swimming in the waters of the world. Most of them live in the shallow areas of tropical and temperate oceans, and five species live in rivers.
2. Dolphins are predators. In their menu you will find fish, squid and crabs. A dolphin that weighs 260 pounds eats about 33 pounds of fish a day.
3. Dolphins are known for their mischievous behavior and are very intelligent. Dolphins are as smart as monkeys, and the evolution of their brains is surprisingly similar to that of humans.
4. Dolphins are part of the whale family that includes the orcs and pilot whales. The deadly whales are actually dolphins.
5. The dolphins are very sociable. They live in groups, hunt together and even play together. Large groups of dolphins can have 1,000 members or more.
6. The pregnancy of the dolphin lasts between 9 and 17 months, depending on the species. After birth, dolphins are very maternal. Dolphins were observed hugging their little dolphins.
7. Dolphins are very attached to their mothers. They suckle until the age of two and then swim after their mothers wherever they swim, from the moment of birth until they are 3-8 years old.
8. Dolphins have excellent vision both in and out of the water. They hear frequencies 10 times higher than the upper limit of adult humans. Their sense of touch is also developed, but they have no sense of smell.
9. Dolphins have some natural enemies. Their main threat is the humans who pollute their water, fish and hunt them down. Some species of dolphins have an unclear future. In 2006 the Yangtze River dolphin became extinct. Another threat to their lives is their shark water friends.
10. Because dolphins are mammals, they need to rise to the surface of the water to breathe. Unlike terrestrial mammals that breathe and eat through the mouth, dolphins have separate holes for each task. Dolphins eat through the mouth and breathe through a hole in their back. This prevents them from inhaling water into the lungs while hunting, and reduces the risk of drowning.
April 14 is also Black Day