All About Dolphins
Contents
1. How baby dolphins are born
2. Guess how many teeth dolphins have
3. How dolphins sleep
4. Can dolphins can smell
5. Can we talk to dolphins
6. How fast can dolphins swim, and how deep can they dive
7. Why shows always use bottlenose dolphins
8. How well can dolphins see
9. Can dolphins see in color
10.Do dolphins like people
11. A dolphin’s lifespan
12. Fun facts
How Baby Dolphins Are Born
• It takes 11-17 months for a baby dolphin to develop in its mother’s womb.
• Baby dolphins are born tail first.
• As soon as they are born, they have to go to the surface for air.
• Baby dolphins are called calves.
Guess How Many Teeth Dolphins Have
• Depending on the species, they can have anywhere between 4-242 teeth!
• They are born with only one set of teeth. They add layers of teeth as they get older, like how trees add rings as they grow.
• Dolphins do not use their teeth to chew. However, they use their teeth to catch, and hold fish, which they then swallow whole.
How Dolphins Sleep
• They usually rest near the water’s surface because they must keep coming up for air, even when they're asleep.
• To help them stay close to the surface, they have two connected brain lobes that go back and forth keeping the body above the water's surface.
Can Dolphins Smell?
No, dolphins cannot smell using their blowhole but instead are able to taste chemicals in the water, allowing them to have sensations similar to smelling.
Can We Talk
To Dolphins?
• Dolphins work with humans to help them learn to communicate with us; these dolphins can recognize sounds and hand signals from humans.
• People have yet to learn how to speak dolphin.
How Fast Can Dolphins Swim and How Deep Can They Dive
• They can go in bursts of speed, reaching 30 miles per hour!
• Dolphins can increase their speed even more by surfing a ship’s wake, or path.
Why Shows Always Use
Bottlenose Dolphins
• Bottlenose dolphins are plentiful, adaptable, and agreeable.
• They are also easy to catch, their curiosity, playful nature, and intelligence make them excellent ambassadors to the human world.
• Dolphins can see well above, and below the water.
How Well Can Dolphins
See?
• They have both a lens and cornea that help them make the transition from water to air.
• Experts say that dolphins are a bit nearsighted when they jump out of the water.
• Looking down, dolphins have binocular vision, meaning both eyes work together giving an indepth, three-dimensional, picture.
Can Dolphins
See In Color?
• Scientists believe that dolphins cannot see colors. This is not an issue, because the light only penetrates the water for a few hundred feet.
• Dolphins seem to be more responsive to light at the blue end of the color spectrum.
Do Dolphins Like People
• Some do; some don’t.
• Dolphins are known to swim up to people in shallow water for interaction.
• There are stories of dolphins coming up to save people in trouble in the water.
A Dolphin’s
Lifespan
• Their lifespan varies by species.
• In captivity their lives are much shorter.
Fun Facts
• The reason that dolphins are colored the way they are is because if you look up from deep water you see lighter colors, and looking down you see darker ones, that’s the way dolphins are colored, making them inconspicuous to predators!
• The city “Delphi” literally means “dolphin town!”
• Baby dolphins have belly buttons and umbilical cords.
• Dolphins have the extraordinary ability tomove their eyes independently!
• Dolphins love to frolic in the water.
Fun Facts
• The smallest dolphins only weigh less than100 pounds!
• Dolphins like to play ball with pufferfish!
About The Author
I am a second-grade author from Wisconsin. I love writing stories about personal narratives and non-fiction. When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with my family and playing Dungeons and Dragons. Some of my favorite books are The Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings, and graphic novels. I was inspired to write this book because I once had a personal experience with dolphins, and I love them. One fun fact about me is that I used to ride horses when I was two. I hope you enjoy reading my book as much as I enjoyed writing it!
I would like to dedicate this book to