23 Fun Facts About Dolphins

Dolphins show a hair patch on their rostrum, or mouth. This hair marks them as mammals, though it falls off within two weeks of birth.

Dolphins are the only mammals that give birth tail first. Other mammals birth the head first.

Another female dolphin in the pod assists the mother during birth. They have helped pull the baby out.

Every dolphin has a dorsal fin. Each fin is unique, like a human fingerprint.

Dolphins swim at 33 feet per second. They maintain this speed for seven seconds using their powerful tails.

One stomach stores food; the second handles digestion. Dolphins act like cows, unlike cows which have four stomachs.

Dolphins heal fast after shark bites. Their skin and blubber have antibacterial traits. Swimming deep cuts off blood flow.

Dolphins possess eighty to one hundred teeth apiece. Their teeth configuration is unique.Dolphin teeth act like an antenna, catching incoming echolocation clicks.

Source: Understand Dolphins

Dolphins use whistles to talk. Researchers now know they make personal whistles, using them to name themselves and identify each other.

A group of dolphins forms a pod. The bond within the pod is strong. Dolphins care for the sick, elderly, and pod members.

Dolphins enjoy sex often, even outside the right season or just because they need to reproduce. This happens rarely in wild animals.

A mature dolphin can eat up to 30 pounds of fish daily.

Dolphins sleep with only one brain side active. This lets them breathe and watch for threats like sharks while sleeping.

Despite having 100 teeth, dolphins swallow all their food whole.

Dolphins whistle and click at the same time. The whistle communicates; the click is sonar. This is like a human speaking two pitches at once.

Dolphins grow a skin layer in just two hours. They also have skin ripples that help them move fast and stop parasites.

Dolphin eyes produce "dolphin tears." This slippery fluid protects the eyes from objects and infections.

Dolphins swim fast and leap far. They have recorded jumps reaching 20 feet in one bound.

Dolphins have sharp eyesight and hearing. They cannot smell anything.

Dolphins expel air through their blowhole up to 100 miles per hour!

Female dolphins are called cows. Males are called bulls. Baby dolphins are called calves.

Killer whales, orcas, belong to the dolphin family, even though they have 'whale' in their name.

Forty-three dolphin species exist globally. This count includes thirty-eight marine dolphins and five river dolphins.