Dolphins Have Names For Each Other And Call Out To Each Other Specifically

National Dolphin Day is celebrated on April 14 every year. On this day, we celebrate dolphins — one of the most intelligent and friendly mammals in the world. Dolphins are cetacean mammals that belong to the same family as whales and porpoises. There have been many representations of dolphins in popular culture through books and films. Most of these popular representations are accurate. Dolphins are extremely social and friendly beings. They love company and have an acute sense of hearing. Yes, they can hear many more frequencies than adult humans. Dolphins can be found in many parts of the world, although they prefer shallow waters.

• 50 million years ago – Four-legged land creatures start spending more and more time in water and gradually started evolving into water-based mammals
• 30 million years ago – A toothed whale that used echolocation like the modern dolphin frequented our oceans.
• 20 million years ago – Dolphin-like creatures called kentriodontids use active echolocation to navigate waters.
• 2007  was declared to be the International Year of the Dolphin. The U.N. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (C.M.S.) established this to reduce the loss of biodiversity by 2010.
• 2009 – The National Geographic Photographer Louie Psihoyos directs an award-winning film called “Cove” to alert people to rapid dolphin hunting in Japan.
• Dolphins are cetacean mammals that are related to whales and porpoises. Found worldwide, they prefer the shallower seas of the continental shelves.
• As carnivores, their diet consists mostly of fish and squid.
• Male dolphin – bull
• Female dolphin – cow
• Young dolphin calf
• Group of dolphins – school or pod
• Dolphins have acute eyesight both in and out of the water.
• They also have a well-developed sense of touch, with free nerve endings densely packed in the skin.
• Surprisingly, unlike sharks, for example, dolphins have a poor sense of smell.
• Since they additionally have such acute hearing, they can hear frequencies ten times or more above the upper limit of what adult humans can.
• Dolphins are also capable of making a broad range of sounds using nasal air sacs located just below the blowhole.
• You will see the dolphins frequently leaping above the water’s surface. They do this for various reasons; when traveling, jumping saves them energy as there is less friction while in the air. Their leaps are even have a name called porpoising.
• Some other explanations for leaping include orientation, social display, fighting, non-verbal communication, entertainment, and attempting to dislodge parasites.
• The United States National Marine Mammal Foundation conducted a study revealing that dolphins, like humans, develop a natural form of type 2 diabetes. This discovery may lead to a better understanding of the disease and new treatments for both humans and dolphins.
• Dolphins can recognize themselves in the mirror, and they love to admire themselves.
• Dolphins have the longest memory in the animal kingdom.
• Dolphins can talk and understand each other over the phone.
• Dolphins have names for each other and call out to each other specifically
• A dolphin’s sonar or echolocation is rare in nature and is far superior to either the bat’s sonar or human-made sonar.
• A dolphin can produce whistles for communication and clicks for sonar at the same time, which would be like a human speaking in two voices, with two different pitches, holding two different conversations.
• Because dolphins are connected to their mothers by an umbilical cord inside a womb, dolphins have belly buttons.
• A 260-pound dolphin eats approximately 33 pounds of fish daily without gaining weight, which is akin to a human eating 15 to 22 pounds of steak a day.
• Dolphins can swim up to 30 miles (48.3 km) per hour
• It is like the dolphins to stick with their mothers for a long time before they leave their pack. Some stay with their mothers for 3 or even 8 years!
• When they are asleep, one part of their brain remains alert and awake. This keeps them safe from potential predators and enables them to breathe while sleeping.
• Opposite to their name, Killer Whales belong to the dolphin family.
• Killer Whales, reaching up to a length of 30 feet, are the biggest of their kind.
• Dolphins give birth to their young tail first. They’re the only mammals known to do this.
• Dolphins care and look after the sick or injured members of their pod.
• Due to their social nature, dolphins swim in groups called ‘pods’ that can have up to 1,000 dolphins.
• There are many different species of dolphins, but the one we are most familiar with is the bottlenose dolphin.
• Dolphins often appeared in ancient Mediterranean myths as guardians of sailors.
  • Stories tell of dolphins guiding lost ships, rescuing drowning sailors, and even serving as symbols of good luck for seafarers.
  • Roman mosaics and Greek pottery often depicted dolphins alongside Poseidon, reinforcing their sacred status.
• Dolphins are capable mimics. They’ve been observed imitating human speech patterns and even sounds like boat engines. This ability reflects their advanced vocal learning, comparable to parrots and songbirds.
• Dolphins practice “herding” by surrounding schools of fish to trap them. In some cases, groups of dolphins take turns eating, ensuring all members of the pod are fed. This cooperative strategy showcases their intelligence and social bonds.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Fact Retriever

Aquaworld 

30A

National Today

Days of the Year