Fun facts about Dolphins….
- Dolphins in the wild will seek out humans and surf alongside boats just for play.
- Dolphins love to ride big waves with surfers.
- Many dolphins will sleep with one eye open just below the surface of the water.
- Every dolphin has a unique whistle, much like humans have thumbprints. They identify each other by these whistles.
- A dolphin can emit a sonic boom loud enough to stun a fish.
- It has been said that their sonar enables them to see inside living things.
- The killer whale, or orca, is actually the largest type of dolphin.
- The land ancestor of the dolphin lived about 50 million years ago and looked a little like a wolf. This animal hunted in shallow waters and by and by adapted itself to life in water.
- Baby dolphins are born tail-first so they won’t drown.
- Babies are born with whiskers just above their rostrum, which falls out immediately after birth. You can still see the small black spots on adult dolphins above the rostrum where these used to be.
- Baby dolphins drink milk just like other mammals that produce milk for their offspring. The baby will swim along with its mother while drinking.
- Dolphins are known to mate for relaxation, not just for breeding. Males in most species have no role in taking care of the young.
- There were cases of dolphins which defended shipwrecked people swimming in the water from shark attacks till rescue ships appeared. And real cases of people saved from drowning by dolphins are known; this behavior is mentioned in many tales, from ancient Greek and Roman stories to the legends of the Polynesians and Maori of the New Zealand.
- Dolphins are also big pranksters, often harassing turtles by rolling them over on their backs. They’ve been seen pulling out the tail feathers of poor pelicans minding their own business on the water.
- Click Here to watch some dolphins surfing at Jeffreys Bay
