Dolphins

Dolphins are mammals. Many people think that dolphins are smart. They can be trained to learn things like breaching or jumping through hoops. Dolphins are often held in captivity, but their natural habitat is the ocean.

When a dolphin is first born, the mother or auntie must push the baby up to the surface so the baby can take its first breath of air. A mother dolphin nurses her calf for at least 16 months.

Dolphins swim about 18 - 25 miles per hour. They travel in herds called pods to keep each other safe.

Like other toothed whales, all dolphins hunt for their food. Dolphins have teeth. The teeth are coned shaped. The dolphins tend to eat a lot of fish. They eat more than twenty pounds a day. Dolphins love to eat.

Dolphins are good at breaching and swimming. Some people think that Bottlenose Dolphins seem to smile. Dolphins are very playful and usually nice to people. In fact, dolphins have been known to save peoples lives.

Dolphins can grow to be 13 feet long. They have one blowhole and they dont have scales. They have skin. Dolphins can be jealous of others. Male dolphins can fight over female dolphins.

Dolphins use echolocation. They can get around with their eyes closed. Echolocation is a kind of sonar.

Dolphins can die of many things. They can die by fishing nets. They can die of starvation and or other natural causes.

by Christina, Louisa, Rich