Many scientists are inclined to think that dolphins are intelligent creatures that have been developing parallel to humanity since the appearance of life on the planet. They have their own language and hierarchy, their brain activity is very different from that of all other animals and fish and can not be fully studied. The experiments conducted with the participation of these creatures usually confuse researchers, since they cannot form a definite opinion about the level of intelligence of dolphins. Of course, they are very smart and hide secrets that will continue to be studied by mankind. That is why interesting facts about dolphins do not cease to amaze not only children, but also adults.
Who are dolphins?
First of all, it must be said that dolphins are not fish, despite the fact that they live in water. These creatures are mammals and viviparous, as well as all inhabitants of the animal world. In this case, the female gives birth to only one cub, and not many. But the mother carries her child from ten to eighteen months. The name of the animal, which goes back to the ancient Greek language, is translated as “newborn baby”. With what it is connected, it is difficult to determine now. Perhaps the dolphins got this name for their piercing cry, similar to the crying of a child, or maybe for the resemblance to a human fetus in the womb.
The most amazing facts about dolphins prove their immediate proximity to humans. These animals swim very quickly, so they often compete in speed with ships and have fun jumping out of the water and smiling as if smiling at people watching them. The facts of saving a person by dolphins are known.
Dolphin species
In nature, there are more than seventy species of dolphins. They have species similarities among themselves, such as live births, nutrition with milk, the presence of respiratory organs, smooth skin and much more. Also, dolphins of different species have their own characteristics. Some animals have an elongated nose, while others, on the contrary, are depressed. They may vary in color and body weight.
Oceanic handsome - bottlenose dolphin
Bottlenose dolphin, interesting facts about which do not cease to amaze the world, is the kindest and most responsive creature on the planet. They live in the warm waters of the oceans. The diet of bottlenose dolphins is fish, squid and small inhabitants of the ocean depths.
A bottlenose dolphin, interesting facts about which history knows, is a very compassionate creature. An indicative case occurred in New Zealand in 2004. At a hundred-meter distance from the shore, four lifeguards were attacked by a white shark. A flock of bottlenose dolphins for forty minutes protected people from a predator that sensed a victim. There is no explanation for this fact of kindness and compassion on the part of animals.
Interesting facts about dolphins are diverse. One of them says that bottlenose dolphins have a brain volume of one thousand five hundred milligrams. According to scientists, each dolphin has its own name, which is called by its relatives. All of them make peculiar sounds that are difficult to catch for the human ear, but in their environment one individual differs from another precisely in its peculiar timbre and manner of communication.
Dolphin Hunting Methods
An interesting fact is that dolphins use echolocation for hunting. Their hearing is arranged in such a way that animals can determine the number of objects, their volume and degree of danger by the reflected signal. Dolphins can stun their prey with high-frequency sounds, paralyzing it. These creatures hunt only in packs, and they cannot live alone either. Dolphin families sometimes number about one hundred individuals. Thanks to these abilities, the animal is never left without plentiful food.
Coastal white-faced dolphin
White-headed dolphins are inhabitants of temperate waters. They mainly live in the coastal zone and feed on bottom fish. Most often they are found off the coast of Norway, where fishing for dolphins of this species is open.
The white-faced dolphin is peculiar, interesting facts about it are very common. The motives of this species of animals that cause animals to land on the shore are incomprehensible. Despite the fact that they can breathe oxygen, water is vital for them, since it is impossible to prevent the drying of the skin surface. Scientists hypothesize that white-headed dolphins are thrown ashore due to infections and diseases that plague them. But this, like everything related to dolphins, requires a deep and detailed study.
Dolphin and man
Interesting facts about dolphins say that they are smarter than any person on the planet. As already mentioned, the brain in these creatures can reach a weight of 1700 mg, while in humans - 1400 mg. In addition, compared to humans, convolutions in the cerebral cortex have significantly more dolphins. Interesting facts (for children) about these creatures help to develop a desire among the younger generation to learn more about our smaller brothers.
Dolphins own a “lexicon” of fourteen thousand signals that are pronounced with different intonations and peculiar voices. Zoopsychologists argue that dolphins have a sufficiently developed self-awareness and social consciousness. Since they live in a team, his problems are not alien to each individual. If a sick or weak dolphin appears in the family, then all the relatives help him and push him to the surface, making it possible to swallow fresh air. Some people should learn compassion from these noble animals.
The paradox of gray
Interesting dolphin facts include the Gray Paradox. James Gray found in the thirties of the twentieth century that the speed of an animal in water is thirty-seven kilometers per hour, which contradicts the muscular capabilities of the body. According to the scientist, dolphins need to change the streamlining of their body in order to develop a similar speed. Experts from the USA and the USSR puzzled over this issue, but the final decision was never made.
Dolphin tongue
The category “The most interesting facts about dolphins” includes their ability to communicate with each other and discover prey. Researchers have found that for different life situations, these creatures have their own sounds, and they are divided into sonar and communicative. Sonar signals are used to detect prey, and communicative signals are used to communicate within the family.
Ordinary human hearing is not able to catch the dolphin roll call. People perceive sounds up to twenty kilohertz, and dolphins emit signals at a frequency of up to two hundred kilohertz.
Scientists have found that in the speech of animals, there are more than one hundred and eighty different whistles. Dolphin sounds add up to syllables, words and even phrases. And representatives from different regions call each other in his own dialect.
American scientists have created a device through which they try to recognize the meaning of dolphin signals.
Not so long ago, it was found out that the ultrasound produced by dolphins has a beneficial effect on human health and even contributes to the treatment of certain diseases.
Dolphin treatment for humans
The interaction of a dolphin and a person always has a beneficial effect on the psychological state of the latter, so a treatment such as dolphin therapy has appeared. In most cases, this therapy helps children with certain communication problems. Autism, attention deficit disorder, and even cerebral palsy can be treated with these amazing animals.
Dolphin defense
The most amazing facts about dolphins mark their excellent ability to interact with people. These animals were trained for military purposes by the two largest world powers of the twentieth century - the United States and the USSR. Dolphins were trained to find mines, save the sailors of sunken ships and even destroy enemy submarines, unfortunately, dying during the operation.
