A bottlenose dolphin is an endothermic mammal that gives birth to live young. Bottlenose dolphins are the most common and well known type of dolphin. The name bottlenose describes this species of dolphin as they have a short, stubby beak (bottle-like shape). A bottlenose dolphin is a cetacean, which means it is a marine mammal. They are also one of the most-commonly studied cetacean because they live near coasts and adjust well to captivity. It’s Genus and Species names are; Tursiops Truncatus.
A bottlenose dolphin’s pectoral flippers are used to steer and stop. The lobes of the dolphin’s tail are called “flukes”. The dorsal fin helps the dolphin maintain its balance as it swims. Muscles of the back help the dolphin flow through water.
A bottlenose dolphin lives in bodies of water all around the world. They live in groups of 10-30 dolphins which are called “pods”. Some dolphins offshore have been seen in groups of several hundred, these groups are called “herds”. As you can tell bottlenose dolphins are very social.
The endangered status of a bottlenose dolphin is; not endangered. Although they are considered “not endangered” they still have their fair share of problems. Many of the issues they face are a result of human impact on the ocean environment. Such as pollution, fishing gear and boats, and hunting in Japan and Taiwan.
Bottlenose dolphins are carnivores that eat a variety of fish, squid, and crustaceans such as shrimp. They can eat up from 15-30 pounds of food a day. They hunt using echolocation. According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary echolocation is a physiological process for locating distant or invisible objects by sound waves reflected back to the emitter from the objects. Bottlenose d...
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...r in its lungs. It opens the flap and starts to breathe just as it reaches the surface. Inhaling and exhaling takes about three-tenths of a second for a bottlenose dolphin.
Similar animals to a bottlenose dolphin include; Whales, porpoises, other species of dolphin. Some people are surprised to learn that the orca (killer whale) is considered a dolphin. There are three subspecies of bottlenose dolphin; Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, Pacific bottlenose dolphin, and the Southern Hemisphere bottlenose dolphin. There is also the pink bottlenose dolphin.
As you can tell dolphins in general are very interesting creatures. There are many different ways you can learn about them. As I mentioned in my essay dolphins are fighting pollution and many other issues, and there are ways you can fix them! So help save our oceans there are many beautiful creatures living in the water!
Orca whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. Orcas are very curious creatures, they like to sky hop, which is when they poke their heads out of the water and look around, and they can also dive to as much as a hundred feet. These social animals live in pods and stay with them for their whole lives. They are so family oriented that they can may sleep together in a tight circle and have synchronized breathing. Orcas can grow up to thirty-two feet and can weigh nine tons. They typically eat five percent of their body weight and are amazing hunters. The lifespan of an orca in their natural habitat is about fifty years. This lifestyle for them is wonderful because they can swim as far as they want to and are free. Orcas should not be held captive because the capture process is dangerous, it is not good for their health, and their trainers are at risk. Free Willy. Dir Simon Wincer. 1993.Video. Warner Bros Home Video
In the past twenty years a large amount of bottlenose dolphin have been killed due to the tuna fishery. In the Eastern Pacific swim large schools of tuna, these shoals tend to be under herds of dolphins, for some unexplained reason. Because of this, fishermen can easily find schools of tuna. The tuna are being caught under purse seine nets, which encircles the shoals of tuna and then is pulled back on board the fishing vessel, catching both tuna and dolphin. Initially the mortality rate was 500,000 each year for dolphins alone. Although some efforts are made to encourage the dolphins to leave the net by backing down part of the net, which allows the dolphins to escape, there are still a large number of mortalities (Bryant). On the other hand, in the last few years there has been dramatic progress in stopping the fishing industries from using purse sine nets. It has been found that dolphins are in immediate danger of extinction if these fishing techniques don’t stop.
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are actually the largest member of the dolphin family. They were given the name “killer whale” by sailors who often observed them attacking and killing seals, sea lions, walruses, penguins, dolphins, polar bears and even other whales (Orcas).
A bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncates, has a streamlined body. A dolphin's outer skin layer (epidermis) is about 10 to 20 times thicker than the...
Although it is remarkable that these marine mammals are capable of so much, there are things the public does not know. According to classified statistics, twenty-three out of forty-three animals died while being transported from their natural habitat to foreign aquariums for training. Another thing the public does not know is in reference to a similar marine mammal program in the Soviet Union. It has been reported that Soviet dolphins were trained to do "kamikaze" missions. Explosives were supposedly strapped to their backs and they were sent out to destroy enemy submarines. According to statistics, about two thousand dolphins have died on these, and similar, missions.
The Killer Whale is a part of the toothed whale (odontoceti) suborder. The toothed whale suborder is consisted exclusively of porpoises, whales and dolphins that are born with teeth, instead of baleen plates. The Killer Whale is the largest animal in the dolphin family and is the only known to attack sharks, whales and other marine mammals.
A Bottle-nosed dolphin skeletal system is believed to be originated from the basic mammalian skeleton, but has gone through a number of changes. Firstly the forelimbs have been modified into flippers and the bones of the hind limbs have disappeared altogether. Such bones as the rib cage and the spin have also undergone transformation in the fact that they have cured and caved-in due to water pressure. These creatures hold their breath for about 15 minutes before having to submerge for air. The Bottle-nosed dolphin is an amazingly strong creature. Because it never stops swimming, the Bottle-nosed dolphin has a very powerful tail, which is capable of supporting its weight of about 400 kg.
Cetaceans are thought to be some of the most intelligent species on this planet. Popular culture has embraced the idea of cetacean intelligence with shows such as the 1960s hit TV series Flipper, where a dolphin is used to help fight crime. In his comedic science fiction novels, the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, author Douglas Adams suggests that dolphins are the second most intelligent creatures on Earth, behind mice and above humans. Although most scientists would probably argue that humans are the most intelligent species, the behavior and brain size of dolphins and other cetaceans suggests that they too are intelligent. This paper will briefly describe the reason some scientists believe cetaceans are intelligent species and then give examples of scientific studies, which suggest cetacean intelligence. Since bottlenose dolphins and orcas are the most widely studied cetaceans, the survey of field studies will primarily focus on these two species. At the end, this paper provides an argument of why some scientists discredit the high degree of cetacean intelligence.
They use their flippers to help them swim. Their hind flippers help them control what direction they go. The rotate their hind flippers so that the flippers can help support their weight. They leap out of the water while they swim.
The Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, is part of the marine mammals group. They are found in oceans all over the world, they live in open waters. Even though they are mammals, they do not live on land (Monterey Bay Aquarium). Humpback whales are known for their magical song that can travel great distances. These gentle giants are omnivores, their main diet is krill. They are mostly found near coastlines feeding on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton and small fish. Humpbacks migrate annually from summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding water closer to the Equator. Humpback whales are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fin, called a fluke to propel themselves through or even out of the water! Mothers and their young swim close together, often touching one another with their flippers with what appears to be gestures of affection. Even though it takes more than one year for a humpback whale to grow fully, mother whales leave them after one year (National Geographic).
Since fish live in an environment in which they need to move in three dimensions, buoyancy plays a significant role in determining a fish's ability to swim efficiently. Fish use a couple of different strategies to solve this problem. Denser fish use their pectoral fins to create dynamic lift, similar to planes and birds. As these fish swim, their pectoral fins are positioned in such a way as to create a difference in pressure which allows the fish to maintain a certain depth. The two major drawbacks of ...
The Conservation of Whales and Dolphins: Science and Practice, edited by Mark P. Simmons and Judith D. Hutchinson, is a book I have decided to utilize as a foundation piece for my final paper. This book contains in-depth information from multiple authors, compiled in chapter format. The compilations discuss many global issues revolving around the cetacean species, such as the protection and conservation of these water mammals and the various ways that they are endangered or harmed. This book also contains information about numerous international organizations and departments that regulate and maintain whaling laws and marine-life policies. An accredited author, often holding a degree in marine or cetacean biology or the head of one of the departments or organizations mentioned, writes each section or chapter. This book is an excellent source to use as background for my researched argument paper, because it contains up-to-date historical background on whaling and the numerous, international conservation efforts put in place.
...r. Even though they live in the ocean all their life and also amusement parks, dolphins are mammals, not fish. That makes them very intersting animals because of all the charactics that they have that people would have never known about. Dolphins are by far the most intelligant marine mammals in the ocean.
the river. These dolphins used to be found in large groups or schools but are now
Did you know in the world there are more than 90 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises? (WDC) The dolphin is a very important animal to the ocean and there are many different types to discover. In order to learn about dolphins, it is important to discuss where they live, their appearance, and what they eat. Some helpful words to understand are “dorsal fin”, a dorsal fin is the top pointed fin on the dolphins back, “flippers”, a flipper is a flat fin that dolphins use to swim, and “echolocation” is a tool dolphins use to find food by sounds bouncing off of objects (dictionary.com).