Hey Kids! Did you know that dolphins are mammals or that they use echolocation? Do you want to learn more about dolphins? Check out these amazing and fun dolphin facts for kids!
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What are dolphins?
Dolphins are cetacea marine mammals. There are 36 species of dolphins, 32 types of ocean dolphins, and 4 types of river dolphins. A female dolphin is called a cow. A male dolphin is called a bull. A baby dolphin is called a calf.
Where do dolphins live?
Dolphins can be seen all over the world. They live close to the coastline in all the oceans on the planet. They live in freshwater rivers of Asia and South America. Some dolphins live in the Amazon River.
What do dolphins eat?
Dolphins have two stomach parts. One stores food and the other digests the food. Dolphins have 100 teeth! They are carnivores meaning they eat meat. Dolphins eat a variety of fish, squid, and crustaceans.
Dolphins cannot chew with their teeth. This is because they do not have jaw muscles to help chew. Dolphins eat by swallowing their food whole.
Dolphins eat about 5% of their body weight daily.
Dolphin Facts for Kids
Dolphins are intelligent.
They have good eyesight and great hearing. Dolphins can hear better than humans!
They communicate with other dolphins using clicking and whistling sounds.
Dolphins are playful animals. They like to jump out of the water and ride waves.
Some dolphins can jump as high as 30 ft out of the water!
Many tropical vacation spots offer an interactive dolphin experience where people can touch or swim with the dolphins.
Sometimes dolphins will swim next to boats the action is called bow-riding. Some scientists believe they do this to conserve energy while swimming.
Types of Dolphins
Did you know an Orca or Killer Whale isn’t a whale at all but a dolphin?
Orcas are the largest species of dolphins. Orcas can be 25ft long and 19,000 pounds.
The popular bottlenose dolphin featured in a lot of movies is approximately 8ft long and 665 pounds.
Maui’s Dolphins are the smallest dolphins. They are about 4ft long and 90 pounds.
Dolphin Facts for Kids
Dolphins never fully fall asleep. Part of their brain always stays awake so they can breathe.
Dolphins use echolocation to find food and navigate. Echolocation is determining location by high pitch sounds. Bats also use echolocation.
Dolphins can swim 25 miles per hour.
They swim by moving their tails up and down.
Dolphins cannot breathe underwater.
They breathe from a blowhole at the top of their heads.
The fin on their back is called a dorsal fin.
Dolphins live in a group called a school or pod.
A shark is the only ocean predator to a dolphin.
Humans are a threat to dolphins. Sometimes dolphins are killed because they get caught in fishing nets.
Baby Dolphins
Dolphins do not lay eggs.
Dolphins give birth to babies underwater.
After babies are born, mother dolphins bring their baby up to the surface to breathe.
Baby dolphins drink milk from their mothers,
Babies stay with their mothers until they are able to search for food on their own.
