Bottlenose dolphins are warm-blooded mammals. Their internal temperature is around 36 degrees. To keep this temperature they are surrounded by a thick layer of fat called “blubber” just below the skin. This fat, allow dolphins to resist cold temperatures and regulate their body temperature.
Many of us know that dolphins are one of the most intelligent species on the entire planet. Making them also one of the most interesting species on Earth. The sad truth is, dolphins have now become victims of some incredibly horrific human actions. These actions have put this once vibrant species with a healthy population to an existential threat.
This is something very important to us here at Ocean Scuba Dive and also one of the reasons we have put together Project Ocean. Below we have put together five reasons why you should adopt a dolphin today and also some interesting facts about this beloved species.
Table of Contents
Five Reasons why you Should Adopt a Dolphin
1. Help Ensure there is a Sustainable use of our Oceans
One of the main reasons behind the decline in our dolphin numbers is the irresponsible use or our natural resources. Due to human beings overfishing, many dolphins find themselves caught in the fishing nets and often drown in the process. This is called bycatch, and it is very important that we do something about it.
Many dolphins are also badly injured and even killed by ships that trawl the seas. Regulation of our ocean for such events is required, and this can be supported by adopting a dolphin.
2. Help Fight Ocean Pollution
Human pollution of our ocean is another major threat. Not only do dolphins become very sick as a result of the pollution made by humans dumping into our oceans, but also the ecosystem that supports them is damaged in the process as well.
People are often blinded by the things they cannot see, ocean pollution is one of those things. You are able to help the dolphin population by adopting one today and using that money to help go towards lobby governments to regulate change.
3. Help Fight Against Climate Change
As many of us know, climate change is not only a threat to the dolphins. It’s much bigger than that, and also a threat to us human beings. Although we all know about the different effects of global warming on mankind, a lot less is known about the impact it has on our ocean life.
Climate change is making a huge impact on underwater food chains, which is certainly going to cause lasting damage to all different kinds of species, including dolphins. Climate change is a global emergency and we must act and do something about it before it becomes too late. By adopting a dolphin you will play a part in the solution to help us make a difference.
4. Help Protect the Dolphins
Each year, thousands of dolphins either drown accidentally in fishing nets or are injured by trawlers and ships. If you choose to adopt a dolphin, you will be one of the people responsible for providing the funds to ensure more protected areas in key marine life habitats.
One of the best ways to protect the dolphins and other marine species is to help establish marine habitats that are then protected from human activities. It’s these habitats that provide sanctuary and enable the dolphin numbers to recover. It is not easy trying to convince governments to prevent people from making a living but that is exactly what has to happen if we are to ensure that dolphin populations stay and maintain healthily.
Each donation will help to reduce the threats to these intelligent and beloved creatures and also help create a better environment for them all to live in. This also makes the perfect thing to do in celebration of National Dolphin Day.
5. Adopting a Dolphin makes a Great Gift Idea
Dolphins are perhaps one of the most social of all species on our planet, other than us human beings. Think about it, have you ever come across someone who doesn’t like them?
And why would they! They live in tight little social groups and are very highly communicative. They even look after other dolphins when they are sick. Dolphins are known to come to the rescue of other species in need too, including humans! Give the gift of giving back with this great scuba diving gift or perfect dolphin gift for anyone who loves dolphins.
Adopt a dolphin today and I can assure you, they will thank you for it!
5 Facts about Dolphins
There are around 40 different species of dolphin. Most of them live in shallow areas of the tropical and temperate oceans all over the world. Five species of dolphin actually live in the world’s rivers.
Dolphins are carnivores. They mostly feed and live on fish and squid. Some adult dolphins are known to weigh around 260 pounds! They can consume up to 33 pounds of fish every single day.
Dolphins have now evolved to become very highly intelligent marine animals. They belong to the family of toothed whales, which also includes orcas and pilots.
Dolphins are known to have acute eyesight, both in the water and outside of it. They also have the ability to hear frequencies 10 times the upper limit of what we humans can hear. They also have a very well developed sense of touch. Quite surprisingly, they have no sense of smell!
Dolphins are incredibly social. They hunt and play together on a frequent basis, living in pods that can sometimes number up to as many as 1000 dolphins!
Did You Know?
Just like bats, dolphins actually use echolocation to navigate and hunt prey. The way that they do this is by bouncing high pitched sounds off of objects and then listening for the echoes.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dolphins
Are whales and dolphins endangered?
It is very difficult to get a good estimate of the size of the populations of these water living creatures. For most species, the answer to this question is probably no. However, there are a number of species that are endangered. The Indus river dolphin, the vaquita, northern right whale and also the blue whale are some of the other species that are endangered.
The Baiji, also known as the Chinese river dolphin, was the first dolphin to be declared extinct in modern times. It went from a healthy population of some 6000 animals to extinct in just a few decades.
If this doesn’t put things into perspective, one thing to remember is that because of the depletion of fish stocks and also the accidental capture of dolphins, it is undoubtedly leading to a decline in our dolphin populations. With estimations of dolphins being virtually eliminated from the North Sea if pair trawling is allowed to continue. Pair trawling is the cause of killing hundreds and quite possibly thousands of dolphins.
How Many Species of Dolphins are there?
There are 33 different types of marine dolphins and 4 types of river dolphins
Where do Dolphins Live?
Dolphins and whales can be found in almost every ocean and sea in the world. From the arctic oceans all the way through to the tropics and to the Antarctic. However, each species has its own preferred habitat.
Most species of dolphins live in the shallow areas of both tropical and temperate oceans, throughout the world, and five known species actually live in the Worlds Rivers. Some live in the colder waters only while others live in the tropical.
What do Dolphins Eat?
Dolphins consume a mixture of prey, which mainly includes; Fish, crustaceans, and squid.
How old can Dolphins get?
The life expectancy and the average age of a dolphin is about 25 years old. Having said this the maximum age of a bottlenose dolphin is actually between 40 and 50 years of age.
It is, however, important to know, anecdotal evidence, where there are indications that dolphins would live longer than estimated if the death by human interference was eliminated from calculations.
How do Dolphins keep warm?
Dolphins have a layer of what we call “blubber” underneath their skin which helps keep them warm. They also have a lot less of their body mass exposed to the outside, this means that they cool a lot more slowly.
Dolphins are also able to pump out metabolic body heat much faster than us humans can. They have a very complex and clever body as it allows them to change the blood flow so that it stays within the inner part of their body and doesn’t flow into their outer body parts, such as their fluke (tail) and fins.
What does a Dorsal Fin do?
The dorsal, also known as the back fin, stabilizes the mammal in the same way that a keel on a sailboat stabilizes a boat. Most dolphins and whales do have a dorsal fin, but with some species, it has been reduced to a series of bumps, such as in the sperm whale. In other species, it has been lost altogether, just like in the beluga, right and narwhal whales.
How well can Dolphins and Whales see?
Both dolphins and whales have excellent vision. Both when in the water and outside of it. The only dolphin whose vision is reduced is the river dolphins, these dolphins can be found in the Amazon, Ganges and Indus rivers. Their eyes are simply a slit 2 to 3 mm in diameter, which makes it harder for them to see!
What is Breaching and what does it mean?
Breaching is when a whale or dolphin launches their body out of the water, and almost vertically. They then descend back into the water onto their backs, making a huge crash. During the winter months, Humpback whales will breach during courtship.
How deep can Dolphins and Whales Dive?
Most dolphins do not dive very deep and spend the majority of their time swimming through 100 meters of water as this is where the food is plentiful. The deepest dive recorded for a bottlenose dolphin was 300 meters deep. This record was accomplished by Tuffy, a dolphin trained by the US Navy.
Other dolphin and whale species are able to dive too much greater depths. Studies have shown that pilot whales are able to dive to at least 600 meters deep, and a sperm whale has been found entangled in a cable at a deeper depth of 900 meters. Other recent studies on beluga whales have revealed that belugas dive regularly to depths of 800 meters! The deepest dive of a beluga whale ever recorded was to an amazing 1250 meters.