10 Things you didn’t know about dolphins
Dolphins are marvelous marine mammals that people are curious to learn more about. Because of that, here are 10 things you didn’t know about dolphins.
- A dolphin’s gestation period is 12 to 13 months.
- On average, a dolphin calf will wait 5 hours until being nursed by its mother.
- A dolphin mother will nurse her calf until it is 2-3 years old.
- Just like humans, dolphin calves learn different behavioral traits from their mother through imitation, like how to interact with its environment, jumping, socializing, hunting, etc.
- Can you imagine a bucket with more than 30 lbs. of fish inside? Well, this is how much our dolphins eat on average, of course, this varies based on the weight and age of our cetacean friends.
- Like you, and everyone you know, dolphins also have a distinct “personality”. We like to call it a “dolphinality”. Some are introverted, others are more extroverted and socially playful. Here at Dolphinaris, we catalog each dolphin’s unique behavior. Then we match each dolphin to the best corresponding training and development program.
- Just like humans, dolphins are complex creatures that have a well-defined hierarchy. They can be extremely competitive and territorial amongst each other. Based upon these interactions, their position in the hierarchy may elevate or lower.
- How do we know so much about our dolphins? At Dolphinaris, we spend a great deal of time observing and interacting with them in order to learn more. The social dynamics play an important role in their learning and development within the group.
- The dolphins communicate with each other through gesture and through different sounds they make, similar to whistling. Each one has its own distinct “whistle.” This acts an auditory signature to help dolphins understand who is who.
- Do know what threatens these animals in the wild? Unfortunately, it is us, humans. Through our ill-advised behavior like polluting the environment with toxic waste, garbage, and oil spills, we are destroying their natural habitat. Adding to the mess, is maritime traffic, as well overfishing their diet, and just plain dolphin-hunting.
If you want to continue learning about our friends, come to our Dolphinariums, located throughout the coast of the Mayan Riviera. Bring the whole family to play with these friendly creatures and live the bucket list experience of swimming with dolphins. Allow us to share these unforgettable dolphin interactions with you.