{"id":920,"date":"2018-04-13T07:52:52","date_gmt":"2018-04-13T05:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.ambogdan.com\/?p=920"},"modified":"2020-11-03T19:05:02","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T17:05:02","slug":"dolphins-10-fascinating-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ambogdan.com\/dolphins-10-fascinating-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Most Fascinating Facts about Dolphins"},"content":{"rendered":"
Do you remember dolphin Flipper, Alpha & Beta, Hope and Winter, Snowflake, Orca Willy or Jones, the retired Navy dolphin-hacker from Johnny Mnemonic? If you do, it means two things: you\u2019ve met some of the most loved dolphins of the planet that made it to the big screen; also, you already know how lovable they are, just like their relatives swimming in the deep waters of the oceans.<\/span><\/p>\n The Ancient Greeks called dolphins <\/span>“hieros ichthys”<\/span><\/i> which means sacred fish. They went so far as considering the killing of a dolphin a sacrilegious act and therefore punishable by death.<\/span><\/p>\n The name of the dolphin is also linked to the Greeks, as it originally came <\/span>\u03b4\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6\u03af\u03c2 (delph\u00eds<\/span><\/i>), <\/span>“dolphin”<\/span><\/i>, which was related to the Greek \u03b4\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6\u03cd\u03c2 (delphus), “womb”. The animal’s name can therefore be interpreted as meaning <\/span>“a fish with a womb<\/span><\/i>“. The name was transmitted via the Latin “<\/span>delphinus”<\/span><\/i>, which in Medieval Latin became “<\/span>dolfinus” <\/span><\/i>and in Old French “<\/span>daulphin”<\/span><\/i>, which reintroduced the ‘ph’ into the word. <\/span><\/p>\n In modern languages we now have it as <\/span>\u201cdolphin\u201d<\/span><\/i> in English, \u201cdupin\u201d in Croatian, \u201cdelfino\u201d in Italian, \u201cdelf\u00edn\u201d in Czech and Spanish, \u201cdelfin\u201d in Romanian, \u201cdelfiini\u201d in Finish, \u201cdolfijn\u201d in Dutch, or \u201cdolffiniaid\u201d in Welsh.<\/span><\/p>\n Dolphins are extraordinarily intelligent, friendly, funny, playful and full of surprises. And with such treats, who can remain immune to their charm? It\u2019s no wonder that Albert Einstein praised them by saying that \u201cThere’s no question dolphins are smarter than humans as they play more.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Here are the top 10 most fascinating things about dolphins that we\u2019ve dug out for you.<\/span><\/p>\n Well-known for their playful character, most dolphins swim in the in shallow areas of tropical and temperate oceans, yet there are some who enjoy living in the rivers. There are over 40 species of dolphins, the most common being the Bottlenose dolphin. <\/span><\/p>\n Dolphins are not just lovely creatures, but they are also extremely intelligent. <\/span>By comparing the ratio size of brain to body, scientists came to the conclusion that dolphins rank second, right after the humans! <\/span>A dolphin\u2019s brain is 4-5 times larger than those of other animals of similar size.<\/span><\/p>\n To prevent drowning while sleeping only half of the dolphin\u2019s brain goes to sleep! The other half remains awake so they can continue to breathe! It is said that dolphins are as smart as apes, and that the evolution of their larger brains is surprisingly similar to humans.<\/span><\/p>\n One is used for storage of food and the other is used for digestion. By the way, dolphins never chew their food, they swallow it as a whole. Their teeth are used only to catch their prey; fish, squid and crustacean are their favourite. Also, a 260-pound dolphin eats about 33 pounds of fish a day.<\/span><\/p>\n Dolphin sonar is the best in nature and superior to bats\u2019 and man-made sonar. Just like bats, they use echolocation to navigate and hunt, bouncing high-pitched sounds off of objects, and listening for the echoes. Their teeth work as a kind of antenna to pick up the sounds bounced back by their prey during echolocation.<\/span><\/p>\n Depending on the species, dolphin\u2019s gestation takes 9 to 17 months and mothers breastfeed calves for two or three years. Dolphins have been observed nestling and cuddling with their young. It is in the nature of the dolphins to stick with their mothers between three and eight years before they leave their pod.<\/span><\/p>\n It is said that elephants caring for a crippled herd member is a sign of empathy. Well, we could say the same about the dolphins who are often seen tending to the sick, the ill, old and the injured in their group, which is known as “pod”<\/em>. If needed, they can help others breathe by bringing them to the surface.<\/span><\/p>\n It would be an overstatement to call dolphins carpenter, but for sure they know how to use tools! They use broken off sea sponges to protect their noses while they forage! But, make no mistake, dolphins are not the only creatures using tools. Recent studies talk about chimps who use rocks to crack nuts, while others fish for termites with blades of grass. Gorillas gauge the depth of water with the equivalent of a dipstick.<\/span><\/p>\n Dolphins have an extremely sensitive skin, so they can easily get injured at the slightest touch of a hard surface. Despite the sensitivity, they have a great healing capacity even from deep wounds like the shark bites. The experts do not have a clear explanation for this phenomenon, especially since they claim that similar mammals suffering from similar wounds would die from a hemorrhage instead.<\/span><\/p>\n Though called killer whales, orcas are not whales! Orcas, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world’s most powerful predators. With a lifespan in the wild ranging from 50 to 80 years, Orcas can reach up to 32 feet and 6 tons. They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales. This is where they also got the nickname of \u201ckiller whales\u201d<\/em>. Orcas (Orcinus orca<\/em>) are also known for grabbing seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds.<\/span><\/p>\n Dolphins have a whole day dedicated to their existence for a good reason, as some species of dolphin are endangered, and the biggest threat to their future is man. Let\u2019s raise awareness for the protection of these beautiful creatures. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s not without a good reason why Ancient Greeks called dolphins “hieros ichthys” which means sacred fish. Dolphins are extremely intelligent and full of surprises as you’ll see …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[596],"tags":[486,483,485,544,488,489,484,487],"class_list":["post-920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-cetacea","tag-dolphin","tag-dolphin-day","tag-featured-2","tag-healing","tag-killer-whale","tag-orca","tag-sonar"],"yoast_head":"\nDolphins – the sacred fish<\/h2>\n
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Dolphin’s quick facts list\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Top 10 Most Fascinating Facts About Dolphins<\/h3>\n
1. Nearly 40 species of dolphins<\/b><\/h4>\n
2. Dolphin\u2019s amazing brain<\/b><\/h4>\n
3. They sleep resting one side of the brain at a time<\/b><\/h4>\n
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4. Dolphins have 2 stomachs<\/b><\/h4>\n
5. The best sonar in the world<\/b><\/h4>\n
6. Babies protected by midwives <\/b><\/h4>\n
7. Dolphins attend the sick relatives<\/b><\/h4>\n
8. Dolphins know how to use tools <\/b><\/h4>\n
9. Great at healing themselves <\/b><\/h4>\n
10. Orca, the killer whale is a dolphin<\/b><\/h4>\n
April 14, 2018 – Happy Dolphin Day!<\/span><\/h2>\n