Dolphins
Posted by: AamirAug 10th, 2006 • Category: Eye Candy • Tags: underwater, wildlife •
Dolphins are some of the most highly intelligent creatures on earth. These warm-blooded mammals belong to a group of mammals called Cetaceans which also encompass all whales. They have lungs and breath through a single blowhole on the top of their head and can hold their breath for about 10 minutes under water.
Dolphins come in many colors and there are a total of 67 species known. Their senses are very highly developed, with acute hearing superior to that of humans, acute eyesight and sense of touch but have a limited sense of smell. Little is known about a dolphin’s sense of taste, although they do have taste buds and show strong preferences for certain types of food fishes.
Dolphins are social animals, living in “pods” of up to a dozen. In places with a high abundance of food, pods can join temporarily, forming an aggregation called a superpod; such groupings may exceed 1000 dolphins. They demonstrate extraordinary team work when they go hunting. The pods surround schools of fish preventing them from escaping. The dolphins then take turns jumping into the trapped schools grabbing a mouthful and thus starts the feeding frenzy. Sharks often get excited when dolphins are around and join the food party too. Now who would pass a free meal?
The individuals communicate by producing a variety of clicks and sounds that resemble moans, trills, grunts, squeaks, and creaking doors. They also produce whistles. The sounds vary in volume, wavelength, frequency, and pattern. They also use ultrasonic sounds for echolocation. The term echolocation refers to an ability that dolphins possess that enables them to “see” with their ears by listening for echoes. Membership in schools is not rigid; interchange is common. However, the animals can establish strong bonds between each other. This leads to them staying with injured or ill dolphins for support.
More than just being a fascinating sea creature and fellow mammals, dolphins and humans have a history of positive interaction with one another. Dolphins routinely interact with swimmers and divers in a very playful fashion, swimming closely, nosing around and even offering a lift when a person gently grabs onto the dorsal fin.
Because of their high capacity for learning, dolphins have been employed by humans for any number of purposes. Dolphins trained to perform in front of an audience have become a favorite attraction all over the world. Their intelligence combined with their ability to travel at speeds of ~20 MPH and dive deep, they are used by the US Navy Marines to perform tasks such as ship and harbour protection, mine detection and clearance, and equipment recovery. They are also used as sentries to protect harbor installations against unauthorized human swimmers.
A quick fact before i end this post. Did you know that Dolphins are the only mammals besides human beings that mate for pleasure?? 😉
Posted by: Aamir
Aug 10th, 2006 • Category: Eye Candy • Tags: underwater, wildlife
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August 10th, 2006 at 07:58:
1
Dolphins and horses are two animals that I’ve never really gotten the hype about. I think it’s prob because both are overrated – I tend to go for the undiscovered. Don’t get me wrong though, they’re still beautiful!
August 10th, 2006 at 10:57:
2
Hey Ari,
Dolphins have names!! They call each other by the same series of whistles and clicks.
They may even call each other slanderous names. what would they call each other? Fish breath?
The baby birds finally have feathers. I will have to get a picture after camp.
Great pictures as aways.
August 10th, 2006 at 11:13:
3
God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teem, according to their kinds…
Had a real(virtual?)experience with the enchanting underwater world of dolphins here…
Great pics,Ari..
August 10th, 2006 at 12:39:
4
Ari~
I love these beautiful creatures!
Thanks for these awesome and
amazing pictures!
I will have to come back later today… for another peek!
Take care!
-Margie:)
Oh yeah, I am still puzzled about
those astronauts… and wondering
who has recently eaten bananas!
And being that half a cup of me
contains only 17 calories… I am
not going to worry about that
huge piece of chocolate cake I have had my eyes on !
Today… I shall have my cake…
and eat it too!! Yummy!
It’s early here….
just trying to be a litle funny!
Maybe it’s too early for funny…
and, I do believe I do poerty
better than funny!
So, I will stick with poetry!
But, I might try for something
funny sometime… keep checking
in. OK!
August 10th, 2006 at 12:59:
5
Amazing pics. And a lot of info about dolphins. Thanks for sharing. Really enjoyed reading about them.
August 10th, 2006 at 17:11:
6
nice post bro ! I love dolphins, such a delight they are ( and Leila, the hype is maybe cuz these animals are like dogs – affectionate, loving and loyal) but yeah, you make up for the Discovery Channel that i’m missing out on, hehe 😀 Loved the hues of blue; so intense and beautiful ! keep up the good work *hugs*
August 10th, 2006 at 21:05:
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Maybe lord boo – i do love dogs though!
August 10th, 2006 at 22:51:
8
Thanks for sharing all that info and pis of the Dolphins. Oh how I love them.Apparently they are very close to human’s.
August 11th, 2006 at 00:17:
9
Ari: I love dolphins and its always nice to watch from glass devide and their movements. It makes wonders to humans. Awesome post.
I liked the group dolphins together.
August 11th, 2006 at 00:37:
10
awww great pictures mate .. now dolphins aren’t just all fun and games and cute and lovely .. dolphins have a dark side .. yuppp .. a very dark side ..
In the open sea they travel in packs .. a pack of dolphins (I think that’s what u call them) .. and if they like a female dolhpin, they kidnap her .. i.e. they surround her and don’t let her out.
They also fight with other packs of dolphins just for nothing .. just to scare the female dolphin (trapped) that they are not afraid of fighting.
August 11th, 2006 at 01:11:
11
ari~
I hope you did not mind my being a little silly here this morning!
When I saw you had posted the
mechanical contrivium from my
blog… I just could not help myself.
And when I wake up happy… I am
often silly!
I do love the dolphin pics!
Take care!
Oh lord boo is your brother, huh?
I like to read his comments to you!
August 11th, 2006 at 03:49:
12
Leila, You are right. Dolphins and horses are overrated, but not for nothing. It is due to their intelligence and loyalty. Dolphins think like humans and have a high I.Q. Monkeys too have a good I.Q, but they are the first to get distracted.
Undiscovered = A unicorn perhaps?? 🙂 I would be there to take pictures if i happen to know one exists 🙂
Take care and thanks for stopping by.
-ari
August 11th, 2006 at 03:56:
13
Ari..Thank you for the wonderful advice on my post.Thank you again. i read it several times and understand what u mean and I am going to follow thru.thank u for taking the time to read it and comment.I appreciate it.I think you are a wonderful person.
August 11th, 2006 at 04:16:
14
Margie… No, i didnt mind at all. I’m glad you are happy and being silly is cute. you should do it more often. Good for the stress levels.
Boo is my baby sis. She lives in UK. Here is a picture Rauf took during her wedding.
Take care
-ari
August 11th, 2006 at 05:07:
15
Great pics!
Dolphins somehow make me filled with emotions…they r such sweet creatures.
Keshi.
August 11th, 2006 at 05:08:
16
ari~
Your sister is beautiful!
Thanks for sharing her picture!
Ok… I will be as silly as I want
to be… and you just might see a silly poem on my blog soon!
Take care!
good night!
-Margie:)
August 11th, 2006 at 10:49:
17
lovely pics, ari.
just remembered reading this bit: Dolphins have an inner ear right next to their eyes.
Dolphins in groups are called pods.
Pollution is not something that can kill dolphins. Dolphins have the largest brain found in any nonhuman animal.
🙂
August 11th, 2006 at 22:13:
18
You’ve got some really great photos here! Nice blog.
August 12th, 2006 at 04:21:
19
I dunno why, but I have been fascinated by these lovely creaures ever since I first saw them long back on TV. And the fact that they look so adorable and make those funny cute noises, only adds to what I already feel for them.
Stunning pics, Ari!!
🙂
August 12th, 2006 at 14:22:
20
ari~
That Keshi just cannot keep a secret!
I will have to have a long talk with her in an email today!
She is adorable though!
But, hey! Thanks for those sweet birthday wishes!
I am hoping to have the best day ever today on my 18th birthday…
so glad you got it right!LOL! HA!
And,I loved the funny quotations!
Funny always makes me smile!:D
Take care!
~Margie:):)
August 13th, 2006 at 14:03:
21
Arey oh samba..
ha,ha
August 14th, 2006 at 08:38:
22
gr8 piece of info.. Luved the pics as well..
:)))
..Me