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Thursday, March 13, 2008

TT #77: dolphins

TT77

Thirteen facts about dolphins

I love Dolphins, ever since I was a little girl! They are very intelligent animals and appeal to my imagination. I hope one day to swim with dolphins in the wild!

  • The greatest threat to whales, dolphins and porpoises is entanglement in fishing gear, also known as bycatch. If current trends continue unabated, several species and many populations will be lost in the next few decades. (source: World Wildlife Fund)

  • Like a bat, dolphins use echolocation to navigate and hunt, bouncing high-pitched sounds off of objects, and listening for the echoes. (source: MIT Sea Grant)

  • Baby dolphins are sucked forward by the motion of their swimming mothers -- giving them a needed assist -- when they position themselves to the right and behind their mothers. (source: Discovery Channel News)

  • Dolphins sleep with one half of their brain plus one eye closed, then switching to the other side of the brain and the other eye closed during other parts of the day -- slowing down everything inside their bodies and moving very little. (source: MIT Sea Grant)

  • There are about 40 species of dolphin. Some can hold their breath for as much as 30 minutes, while others must breathe every 20 seconds. (source: Wikipedia and Animal Planet)

  • Dolphins, such as the bottlenose dolphin, use their teeth only to grasp prey, since they swallow their food whole. (source: Animal Planet)

  • Since 1847, intelligent bottlenose dolphins in the wild have hunted fish with the fishermen of the town of Laguna in southern Brazil. The dolphins have learned that they can feed on the fish that escape from the nets of the fishermen, who work in the shallow waters towards the beach. Driving the fish toward the beach, one of the dolphins rolls over, signaling the fishermen to throw their nets. Man working with nature in harmony! (source: Wikipedia)

  • With their sleek, aerodynamically shaped bodies, some dolphins can swim up to 25 mph (40.2 km ph) for long distances, which is triple the speed of the fastest human swimmers. (source: Animal Planet)

  • Jumping as much as 20 feet (6 meters) out of the water is not unusual for dolphins. (source: Animal Planet)

  • Young dolphins are known to playfully create underwater bubble rings (that do not rise to the surface) by injecting air into water vortices. These underwater toys are then pushed about by their rostrum (snout), bitten, and elongated by the baby dolphins. (source: Project Delphis)

  • Fish and squid are the diet of the common dolphin, where the dolphins have been seen hunting and working together to herd the fish into tight balls. (source: American Cetacean Society)

  • Because the spinner dolphin swims with the yellowfin tuna, they have been slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands in the purse-seine tuna fisheries, which has produced the controversy that led to the enactment of national and international laws for dolphin safe tuna. (source: American Cetacean Society)

  • Freshwater river dolphins of China and South America are the most endangered because of their close proximity to people. (source: MIT Sea Grant)

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46 comments:

  1. My comment disappeared in cyberspace, grrr. Dolphins are great, hope you get to swim with them. Personally I found the swimming with dolphins more exciting than relaxing (what I expected), but it was still fantastic.

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  2. I love dolphins too! They are so cute!

    Were you able to log on to TT yet? I cannot.

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  3. Not sure who's the most intelligent - humans or dolphins. Lovely creatures. But would it have been different if they'd had arms and legs and become technologists like us?

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  4. Air bubble rings - how cool! I'd never seen a dolphin until I moved to North Carolina. I lived near the intercoastal waterway - and they had these long piers that went way out. I'd often stand at the end and schools of dolphins would come by. What magnificent beings! Thank you for a very nice TT-13 - I really enjoyed this.

    Happy TT-13!

    Smiles,

    Holly

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  5. Well, how cool is this post? Thx for the information - that was fun. Happy TT :)

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  6. Lovely list. Dolphins are fascinating creatures. Happy TT. I'm talking about water creatures on books.

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  7. How interesting! I love dolphins ;).

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  8. Anonymous12/3/08 23:59

    Thank you for that fascinating information about these delightful creatures.

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  9. Tink, this is SO cool; at dinner tonight, we were discussing with the kids the story of the dolphin in New Zealand who helped the beached pilot whales, and from there we started talking about the white orca that was recently photographed.

    Your timing, my dear, is utterly impeccable.

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  10. Anonymous13/3/08 00:08

    A wonderfully entertaining and educational Th13!! I enjoyed reading it very much

    BB
    mama kelly

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  11. Great TT - of course. But, sadly, my US-ness is showing - are there dolfins in the Netherlands?? I mean I would guess in the Atlantic. Sorry to be so country-centric (?). They do a lot of swimming with dolphins in the Pacific - Mexico and San Diego. I hope you get a chance to do it!

    Happy TT, tink! :)

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  12. Anonymous13/3/08 00:36

    I love Dolphins.. this was fascinating, especially about the fishermen.

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  13. Very interesting facts. I'll have to share this with my daughter. She is a dophin fanatic. Happy T13!

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  14. Heart-warming post. These animals are wonderful. So kind and good and beautiful.

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  15. Anonymous13/3/08 02:25

    Very interesting - I especially liked the description of the way dolphins sleep. Who knew? Thank you, Tink!

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  16. I was also fascinated by the way dolphins sleep. Thanks for this interesting information.

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  17. That is a great list of information about dolphins. I love dolphins. I find them so adorable.

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  18. And humans are awake with only half their brains working!

    Nice post.

    SJR
    The Pink Flamingo
    http://thepinkflamingo.blogharbor.com/blog

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  19. Thanks for the fascinating facts! I love dolphins:) Happy TT!!

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  20. I wish I was a dolphin -- I loved that they sleep with 1/2 their brain and one eye closed at a time. I wish I could do that! Then I could get a good night's sleep and still make sure my kids get home safe and sound!
    Great TT!

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  21. great info on dolphins. I've never seen one outside of an aquarium or water show.

    This week it's 13 Things to
    Ponder
    , My 71st Thursdat thirteen. Stop by if you get a chance.

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  22. wow, i just learned a lot! can't wait to teach some of these facts to my daughter! happy TT!

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  23. Anonymous13/3/08 05:29

    Those are some pretty interesting facts. Happy TT.

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  24. Anonymous13/3/08 05:29

    Those are some pretty interesting facts. Happy TT.

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  25. Anonymous13/3/08 05:30

    I had no idea about those. I did a report on them too. I guess maybe I did know but it's been awhile since that was like...fourth grade!

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  26. Oh my daughter will love this list

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  27. Very interesting list, I like dolphines they are so intelligent ! I have seen 3 shows of them so far, in Seaworld (Florida) in Egypt and here.

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  28. Great idea for TT! I'm always hoping I'll see a dolphin swim by me while scuba diving. No luck yet...

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  29. Boy, I'd like to sleep like a dolphin--just think of all I could get done! :)

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  30. Very cool information Tink.
    Great TT

    Aline

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  31. Anonymous13/3/08 14:33

    I always loved dolphins, I would love to swim with one before I die.
    Thanks, Maribeth
    www.marnini.wordpress.com

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  32. I have always loved dolphins as well, at one time I wanted to become a marine biologist! We frequently see pods out playing on our beach trips!

    Happy TT!

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  33. Anonymous13/3/08 16:30

    Amazing facts about dolphins! I have lots of dolphin what-nots because I like them too! Happy TT

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  34. Anonymous13/3/08 18:15

    My first spirit animal was a dolphin so I loved this list. Thanks so much for giving me a smile to last me throughout the long day.

    Happy TT

    ~X

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  35. Anonymous13/3/08 18:41

    I love dolphins as well! Interesting list... Happy TT

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  36. Anonymous13/3/08 19:18

    Saw something on the news this morning. A dolphin saved a couple of whales by keeping them away from the shore in New Zealand. Normalywhales would wash on that shore and dye there on regular times. And now the dolphins helped there fellow mammals of the sea by keeping them away. Talking 'bout high intelligents....(they do have a bigger brain then human!)
    Hiphip hurray for the dolphins!

    Wonder!

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  37. My sister-in-law used to love dolphins growing up. I love informational posts. Happy TT.

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  38. Anonymous13/3/08 22:44

    Dolphins are sooo smart! They're mystical too! I love their energy and beauty!
    Have a great week!
    ~W~

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  39. The opening song from 'Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy' is a film favorite of mine. It's sung by the dolphins and is called, 'Goodbye and Thanks For All the Fish'.

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  40. My best friend LOVES anything to do with dolphins.But my ocean thrill is whale songs.I know it sounds all new-agey and stuff but I just love to hear them.They seem to be having a conversation they would love for you to join in on if only they could help you understand!
    Great list!

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  41. Wow - you read my book, The Meditation Sourcebook! Thank you for the nice comments about it on my TT-13! You made my day!!

    Smiles,

    Holly
    http://theabundanceplace.com

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  42. Anonymous14/3/08 23:00

    What a great story and contributions to dolphins - we have them around the Norwegian coastline too you know.

    Wishing you a great end to your week :-)

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  43. Anonymous15/3/08 05:17

    Send in a picture of your cat WITH YOUR THUMB showing somewhere in the picture. I have small contest and you can win cash money. I run one every month and if you send your picture you will be automatically entered in EVERY single tournament/contests at www.wozog.com. After you send your picture you don't even have to visit my site. I will notify you by email if you won. So hurry and send your picture to [B]admin@wozog.com[/B].:)

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  44. Hi, there. I haven't been visiting in a while. But I think of you often. Things are better here and have settle down enough to back to doing the things I like.

    I've also tagged you for a book meme, and hope you come and visit. I've changed my site to Windsongs of the Heart. I wanted a more personal site for writing.

    I loved learning about the dolphins. Most of what you wrote I didn't know about. Thanks for sharing.

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  45. I love dolphins too...and loved this list. Learned some stuff too!

    Hope spring is sprung where you are...it's beena long cold winter here but I've got the windows open today!

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  46. I don’t know how I missed this T-13 from last week, but I’ve bookmarked it so I can return as time permits to check out these wonderful links to learn more about Dolphins. You do the best T-13s ever!
    Hugs and blessings,

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Love, Tink