Daring Dolphins

If you were around in the 1960's you remember the TV show 'Flipper'.  It was revived in the 90's or you may have seen the movies.  When we say the word dolphin, the bottlenose dolphin is what we visualize, the original Flipper.  It's actually called the common bottlenose dolphin, but in my mind there's nothing common about dolphins.

Source:  Wikipedia

But there are over 35 species of dolphins, including the orca or killer whale.  Dolphins eat fish and crustaceans, while the larger "whale" dolphins also eat marine mammals such as sea lions.  Dolphins range in size from just 4 feet to 30 feet long.  Dolphins are also very social - some live in pods of up to 500 individuals.  And they are considered one of the most intelligent animals on the planet.

Most dolphins live in the oceans of the world, but there are also freshwater river dolphins.  Most have poor eyesight, unlike their ocean cousins, because river water tends to be much murkier than saltwater.  Each year the Amazon River floods a huge area of normally forested land. The Amazon river dolphins are specialists at navigating through underwater vegetation with their echo location, plus they have an unfused vertebrae which enables them be much more flexible. They can turn their head 180 degrees.  To learn more check out this video.  Oh, and did I mention that these dolphins are pink??  The murkier the water, the pinker they are.

Photo by Kevin Schafer  Source:  National Geographic

Found only around the southern tip of South America and nearby islands, the Commerson's dolphin is a little more unusual looking - more like a cross between a dolphin and the orca.  With it's black and white color pattern it's easy to see why it's also known as the panda dolphin and the skunk dolphin.

Source:  Wikipedia

There are also spotted dolphins...

Source:  Wikipedia

and striped dolphins...

Source:  Wikipedia

and dusky dolphins...

Source:  Wikipedia

and the true acrobats of the sea, spinner dolphins.

Source:  Wikipedia

You can click on the links under each photo to find out more.  Check out these videos:  for more information about dolphin intelligence, click here and here.  To see a spinner dolphin in slow motion, click here.  To see dolphins making bubble rings, click here.  For more information on Commerson's dolphins, click here.