Dolphins

I have always been fascinated with Dolphins. I believe that they are truly a special creature. Their intelligence is simply amazing. If you ever have the opportunity to swim with a dolphin, don’t think twice about it. Just do it! I truly do not have words to describe what it is like to swim with these creatures. They do something to you when you look into their eyes. It’s like they are looking into your soul - it's magical.

There are about 40 different species of dolphins and they range from 4 feet to 30 feet long. Some dolphins can live up to the age of 50, but most live an average of 17 years. The reason dolphins can live so long is they have very few known predators and some have none at all. The smaller dolphins have to watch out for bull, tiger, dusky and great white sharks. Adult dolphins consume at least 30 pounds of fish a day. Despite the 100 sharp little teeth in their month they don’t us them very much because they swallow their food whole. The only purpose for their teeth is to grasp prey.

Since dolphins are mammals, they do have to breathe air, so they normally resurface and take a breath every 5 to 8 minutes. However, there are some species that can hold their breath for 30 minutes, while others can only hold their breath for 30 seconds. What’s so amazing is some dolphins have been known to dive as deep as 1,000 feet. They also have the ability to jump 20 feet out of the water and from personal experience it is an incredible site to see. Another great attribute that dolphins have is that some have the ability to swim 25 miles an hour for long periods.

Dolphins are extremely social animals, they spend hours each day playing and socializing with each other. They live in pods also called schools of up to a dozen dolphins. They are also very loyal to each other, some staying together for a life time and they will also care for sick and dying dolphins in their pod.

If you are at the beach and happen to see some dolphins playing in the water cherish that moment and try to capture it in a picture. Remember they have to resurface every 5 to 8 minutes to get air. Also I would not recommend trying to get in the water with wild dolphins. Only do it at a place that specializes in swimming with dolphins.

Resources:
Dolphin Facts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin