Dolphins of the World. DOLPHINS OF THE WORLD Introduction : All dolphins belong to the cetacean...
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Dolphins of the World
Dolphins of the World. DOLPHINS OF THE WORLD Introduction : All dolphins belong to the cetacean family. This order includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises
DOLPHINS OF THE WORLD Introduction : All dolphins belong to the
cetacean family. This order includes whales, dolphins, and
porpoises. There is some debate over how many different species of
dolphins there really are. Some say there are 32 different species,
while others 33. It all depends on whether the White Whale is
considered a dolphin. Points of interest: Dolphins sleep only with
one half of their brain at a time! Remember Dolphins are conscious
breathers. Should they sleep and go unconscious as we do they would
simply suffocate or drown. Sleeping Dolphins can be seen as
resting, floating at the surface, with one eye open. After a time,
they will close the one eye and open the other one. Cetaceans can
taste, but have no sense of smell. Only 5 specific species live in
fresh water.
Slide 3
Dolphin Facts: 1. Dolphins are mammals. As all mammals,
dolphins nurse their young from mammary glands. 2. Dolphins can
swim up to 260 m. below the surface of the ocean. However they are
mainly shallow divers as they need to reach the surface to breathe.
3. Dolphins can stay up to 15 minutes under water. 4. Dolphins use
a technique called echolocation. This technique uses the same
principles of a radar, and it is used to find food and navigate. 5.
Dolphins are social beings. Dolphins live in groups and cooperate
among each other for activities like getting food and
calf-raising.
Slide 4
7. The largest dolphin is the Orca, also known as killer whale.
Orcas grow up to 6.1 meters long and belong to the toothed cetacean
family just like dolphins do. 8. The most popular dolphin is the
bottlenose dolphin". Bottlenose dolphins are the ones we have seen
on television, movies and aquatic shows. Bottlenose dolphins can
grow up to 2.8 meters. 9. Dolphins communicate by making a unique
signature whistle that may help individual dolphins recognize each
other, collaborate and perform several other kinds of
communication. 10. The fastest dolphins can reach up to 32
km/h.
Slide 5
Haeviside's Dolphin Heaviside's dolphins are a small,
short-beaked dolphin found only off the southwest coast of Africa
Heaviside's dolphins are about 1.7 meters (5 ft 7 in) long and have
no pronounced beak. Their body shape is stocky rather than sleek,
and they have blunt oar-shaped flippers. The name Heaviside's
dolphin came about because the UK surgeon and scientific collector,
Captain Heaviside, was its discoverer.
Slide 6
Black Dolphin The Black Dolphin is one of the smallest of all
of the cetaceans. (4-6 feet - Weight: 65-145 lb ) Other Names Used:
White-Bellied Dolphin; Chilean Black Dolphin; Chilean Dolphin.
Black Dolphins are found along the coastal waters of Chile
Slide 7
Hector's Dolphin The Hector's Dolphin is only found off the
coast of New Zealand. It is one of the rarest dolphins in the
world. It is also one of the smallest dolphins in the world it can
fit inside a bathtub. There is a distinctive finger-like swoosh of
white that extends from the belly, along the flanks towards the
tail. The rest of the body is grey.
Slide 8
This dolphin is also known as the Piebald Dolphin and the Skunk
Dolphin (due to the similar coloring it has to a skunk). This is
one of the smaller types of dolphins. They only grow to be about 5
feet in length. They are quite round and dont weigh more than 100
pounds. Many people will tell you that they are the most beautiful
dolphin. They are among the most active. They can do some amazing
leaps very high out of the water and have been seen swimming upside
down which is quite comical. Commerson's Dolphin
Slide 9
Bottlenose Dolphin This robust dolphin has a short, stubby beak
- hence the name "bottlenose". The bottlenose dolphin has more
flexibility in its neck because 5 of the 7 neck vertebrae are not
fused together as in the other oceanic dolphins. There are 18-26
pairs of sharp, conical teeth in each side of its jaw. The color is
generally light to slate gray on the upper part of the body shading
to lighter sides and pale, pinkish gray on the belly. It may weigh
as much as 1,430 pounds (650 kg) An adult may consume 15-30 pounds
(8-15 kg) of food each day including fish, squid, and
crustaceans.
Slide 10
Common Dolphin Common dolphins are colorful and elaborate, with
a complex crisscross or hourglass color pattern on the side The
back is dark gray-to-black from the top of the head to the tail
dipping to a V on the sides below the dorsal fin. The flanks are
light gray behind the dorsal fin and yellowish-tan forward of the
dorsal fin, forming an hourglass pattern. Its belly is white and
there are large dark circles around the eyes connected by a dark
line that runs across the head behind the beak and a black stripe
runs from the jaw to the flippers.
Slide 11
This species has a slender streamlined body with a short beak,
sloping forehead, slim tailstock, and small flukes. They are the
only species of dolphin without a dorsal fin found in the North
Pacific Ocean. They are also recognized by a mostly shiny black
coloration on the dorsal side and a contrasting less-visible white
ventral side. Northern right whale dolphins are capable of long
leaps and bounces spanning more than 20 ft (7 m) over the surface
of the water. The Northern Right Whale Dolphin
Slide 12
The upper body of the Atlantic spotted dolphin is a dark gray
color. They have a chunky beak with a spot of white on the end. The
older the dolphin, the more spots. The typical family group of the
Atlantic spotted dolphin can consist of 50 individuals but is
usually somewhere between 5 and 15. They are very vocal and active
at the surface. For reasons we don't yet understand, in the eastern
tropical Pacific the spotted dolphin swims with yellowfin tuna.
Millions of dolphins have been killed in the pursuit of tuna, with
the spotted dolphin accounting for 80% of the casualties. Spotted
Dolphin
Slide 13
Southern right whale dolphins are the only dolphins without
dorsal fins in the southern hemisphere. They are smaller than
northern right whale dolphins and have more white on their head and
sides. They have slim, graceful bodies which are black on the upper
side and white underneath. Their flippers are mainly white and are
small and curved. Their flukes are small with a notch in the
middle. Their beaks are small but distinct. They have between 43 to
49 teeth in each row of both jaws. Southern Right Whale
Dolphin
Slide 14
So called for their high, spinning leaps, spinner dolphins are
known as playful, eager bow-riders. They spend daylight hours at
depths of up to 3,000 feet, but at night migrate towards the shore
to hunt. Using their whistles, they call members of the school back
together to unite in defence. Over the next two hours the dolphins
enter a resting state. As the spinners awaken from their rest, some
members begin to spin, urging the school to move out into the
ocean. For the next hour or more, the spinners perform this zig-zag
pattern. Finally they head offshore for another night of hunting.
Spinner Dolphin
Slide 15
Striped dolphins have a unique look. They feature long strips
of dark blue on their lighter colored blue bodies. They also have
stripes of either pink or white on their belly. The males and
females are the same size - about 8 feet in length. They average a
weight of 350 pounds. The striped dolphin will reproduce at about
12 years of age. In the wild they have a life span of about 60
years so there is plenty of time for mating to occur. Striped
Dolphin
Slide 16
The white-beaked dolphin grows up to 3.1 meters (about 10 feet)
and is sturdy and plump-looking. The body is mostly black or grey
with a pale saddle behind the dorsal fin and white bands on the
flanks. The belly is white and although called the white-beaked
dolphin the beak is sometimes grey or even darker. They are
typically seen in groups of 5 to 50 and occasionally in schools of
several hundred. They are attracted by boats and often bow ride.
They are very acrobatic and have a distinctive rooster tail splash
when swimming fast. White-Beaked Dolphin
Slide 17
Clymene dolphins, sometimes known as the "short-snouted spinner
dolphin," are relatively small in size. They are a distinct species
from the similar-looking "long-snouted spinner dolphin. They appear
physically similar to both striped and spinner dolphins. These
dolphins are recognized by a tricolored pattern on their sides that
includes a dark gray cape, moderately gray flanks, and a white or
pale gray underside. They also have distinct black lips that appear
similar to a "moustache. Clymene Dolphin
Slide 18
The Atlantic White-sided Dolphin is named for its coloration.
This species has a black dorsal region that fades to gray along its
sides and a distinctive white coloration running along its ventral
surface most of the length of its body. Atlantic white-sided
dolphins are capable of holding their breath for nearly 5 minutes.
Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin
Slide 19
The Dusky Dolphin is one of the most acrobatic of all dolphins.
It is known for its extraordinary high leaps and jumps. It is
highly inquisitive and usually easy to approach. It also seems to
enjoy contact with boats. They eagerly ride bow waves and may leap
a dozen times in a row. Usually when one animal will start jumping,
the others in the group will join in. They are found in coastal
temperate waters of New Zealand, Southern Africa, and South
America. Dusky Dolphin
Slide 20
Pacific white-sided Dolphins are so named because of the white
colouration on their sides and underneath. They are dark gray on
top and have a pale gray streak along each side, starting above the
eyes and then widening towards the tail. They have small dark beaks
and dark rings around their eyes. Pacific white-sided dolphins are
found throughout the temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean
from Japan to North America, and from the coasts of Alaska down to
Baja, Mexico. Pacific White-Sided Dolphin
Slide 21
Peale's dolphin is a small dolphin that inhabits the southern
tip of South America. It has a small beak, and its coloration is a
complex pattern of white, gray and black. They generally have a
white belly, a gray area going from near the eye to the midpoint of
the side, a black back and tail, and a white stripe on the flank.
It is sometimes mistaken for the dusky dolphin or the hourglass
dolphin. Peale's dolphins grow to as large as 7 feet and weigh up
to 250 pounds. They feed on fish, molluscs, crustaceans, squid and
octopus. Peales Dolphin
Slide 22
Other names : skunk dolphin, Wilson's dolphin, and Southern
White-sided dolphin. It is most easily recognized by its unique
white "hourglass" marking against a largely black body. Its
underside is also white, though both sides of the fluke are black.
The two white patches that make up the hourglass shape are often
connected by points or at least a thin white line. They feed on
small fish, crustaceans, and squid. Usually found in groups of
7-10, these dolphins are not at all shy when encountered and often
bow ride, even approaching slower moving vessels. Sometimes they'll
spin while riding the waves. When they bowride, they swim in long
low leaps and may resemble a porpoising penguin. Hourglass
Dolphin
Slide 23
The Rissos dolphin is one of the largest and most distinct
dolphin in appearance. From a distance the distinct markings on
their bodies may make it appear that a Rissos dolphin has been
involved in some type of battle. These markings will likely be more
apparent as they get older. They are the result of battles with
each other and with their prey over the course of their lives. The
coloring ranges from various shades of gray. The distinctive
markings on them are white. Another unique feature is that they
have seven sets of teeth on their lower jaw but none on the top.
They feature one dorsal fin and two flukes. They range in length
from 10 feet to about 12 feet. Males can weigh up to 1,100 pounds
with females weighing much less at about 650 pounds. Rissos
Dolphin
Slide 24
The Frasers Dolphin is also well known as the Sarawak dolphin
in some areas. This is a very large sized species that can be up to
8 feet in length. However, they dont weigh more than 200 to 300
pounds. The coloring of the Frasers dolphin ranges from dark gray,
dark black, or dark blue. They dont have a different color on their
belly like most species of dolphins do. They also have a band of
black around their eyes that is quite similar to that of the
raccoon. They are known to reside in the Atlantic, Pacific, and
Indian Ocean areas. They have also been seen in the areas off the
coast of France and Uruguay. The Gulf of Mexico is another common
location for them. Frasers Dolphin
Slide 25
The species is found off the coast of South-East Asia, where in
some areas it is severely threatened It is identified by a bulging
forehead, a short beak, and 12-19 teeth on each side of each jaw.
The pectoral fin is broadly triangular. When diving, this dolphin
breathes at intervals of 70-150 seconds; the head appears first and
then disappears, and then the back emerges, but the tail is rarely
seen. Irrawaddy Dolphin
Slide 26
It is so-named because of the thin line of enamel that runs
vertically along their teeth. They also have slender noses and
conical shaped heads. Their flippers are set back on their bodies,
which causes them to be confused with the Spinner, Spotted and
Bottlenose Dolphins. The flanks of the Rough-toothed Dolphins are a
light grey color while the dorsal fins and backs are a darker gray.
The Rough-toothed Dolphins enjoy deep, offshore warm-temperate
waters. They have been spotted near Hawaii, the Bahamas and
Ogasawana, near Japan, and also off the Coast of Brazil. In the
Eastern Pacific Ocean, the population is estimated around 150,000.
Rough-Toothed Dolphin
Slide 27
They are found around Japan, Hawaii and in the warmer eastern
areas of the North Pacific Ocean It is also found in the West
Indian area and around tropical western Africa in the Atlantic
Ocean as well as in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. They
are very similar in appearance to the melon-headed whale and the
false killer whale. The shape of the head, the dorsal fin and the
flippers of pygmy killer whales are different from the other two.
The head is rounded and lacks a beak. They have an underslung jaw
and white lips, and usually a white patch on the tip of the lower
jaw. There are usually 8-11 pairs of teeth in the upper jaw and
11-13 pairs of teeth in the lower jaw. Pygmy Killer Whale
Slide 28
They have a head that looks like a melon, with a very subtle
beak. The heads profile curves smoothly downward. They have 21-25
small slender teeth in each jaw. The body is dark grey to black in
colour. There is a triangular "mask" on the face of these whales,
as well as a cape that dips low below the dorsal fin. The
Melon-headed whale is seen along most of the African coast. They
are highly social, seen swimming in large groups of a few hundred
and with other species, especially Fraser's dolphins. Melon-headed
whales feed on squid and small fish. Melon-Headed Dolphin
Slide 29
They are happiest in water temperatures between 15-36 C and are
found in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from Northern
Australia and Southern China to Indonesia to Southern Africa. The
Humpbacked Dolphins are also known to enter rivers, estuaries and
mangroves. They have a robust body, elongated hump on back, and a
long slender beak. Its fatty hump begins to grow as it gets older.
Those living west of Indonesia have very distinguishable humps;
whereas those in the east have no humps. They sometimes lie on
their sides and wave their flippers. Indo-Pacific Humpbacked
Dolphin
Slide 30
The Tucuxi Dolphin resembles a small Bottlenose Dolphin. Both
the Tucuxi and Bottlenose Dolphins are a light gray to bluish-grey
in color on their backs, with a pinkish to light gray on the belly
areas. The beaks of the Tucuxi is slender and long, similar to the
Bottlenose Dolphins. The Tucuxi has a freshwater and marine
species. Tucuxi Dolphin
Slide 31
Similar in appearance to long-finned pilot whale. Black in
color, some individuals posses a light gray or white patch on the
chin. Lighter, gray markings shaped like an anchor is present on
the chest. The have muscular bodies with a thick tail. The forehead
bulges over a beakless mouth. The name pilot whale is believed to
originate from the idea that the pods or herds were piloted by a
leader whale. Due to their strong herding behavior, pilot whales
are targeted by drive fisheries for their meat, blubber and oil.
They are also incidentally taken by drift nets and trawlers.
Short-Finned Pilot Whale
Slide 32
Pilot whales are a slow swimming species that do not undertake
long distance migrations, but primarily follow their prey. An adult
male may be up to 6 m long (about 18 feet) and weigh about 3.5
tons. Long-finned pilot whales are black with a pale anchor-shaped
pattern on the throat and belly, and long flippers. They have a
bulbous forehead, and low, swept-back dorsal fin. Pilot whales are
limited to the cooler parts of the globe. The northern and southern
populations are separated by a band of warm tropical water so they
can not meet. Long-Finned Pilot Whale
Slide 33
These dolphins are about a meter (3 feet) in length when born.
When they are young, they do not have a hump. As they grow older,
the hump will form just in front of it's dorsal fin, giving the
dolphin its name. They are generally gray in color, with a lighter
color along their underside, but can be slightly speckled. Found
along the west coast of Africa, they prefer shallow coastal waters,
but may also be seen in estuaries and rivers, though they don't
travel far upstream. They sometimes travel with and can be confused
with bottlenose dolphins. However, as the dolphin ages, the hump
does make them distinctive. They closely resemble the Atlantic
Humpbacked dolphin, though the two species never mix. Atlantic
Humpbacked Dolphin
Slide 34
The False killer whale is actually a member of the dolphin
family, and is not a whale. Its resemblance to whales deceives
people into thinking that it's a whale. When observed from a
distance these animals look exactly like killer whales, however,
when observed closely these are more slender and black in color as
compared to killer whales. Its not only the appearance that makes
these marine animals similar to whales. This species, just like
killer whales, hunts its prey by a technique called herding,
wherein a large group of false killer whales encircle the prey and
pounce on it all at once. False Killer Whale
Slide 35
The origin of the name is unclear, but two species are
generally recognized: the short-finned pilot whale and the
long-finned pilot whale. They are similar in appearance except for
the pronounced difference in flipper length between the two
species. Short-finned pilot whales have a unique hunting style. It
uses a fast, torpedo-like dive technique to hunt prey. When hunting
prey, short- finned pilot whales can reach speeds of 32 kms. per
hour (20 miles/hour) and hold that speed for up to 200 meters (650
feet). Short-Finned Pilot Whale
Slide 36
Killer Whales are the largest member of the dolphin family, and
are known for their playfulness. Many are found along the southwest
coast of Canada but can be found in oceans worldwide. Natural-Born
Killer: Also known by the name orca, it is an excellent hunter. All
types of fish from herring to white sharks, to marine mammals such
as whales and seals, and even turtles and birds are not safe when
the orca is nearby. Orcas use several inventive techniques to catch
their prey. One method is when large groups of orcas work as a team
to herd victims together before attacking from different angles.
Orcas will also frequently force seals and sea lions to beach,
giving the hunter an easy catch in the shallow water. Tipping over
ice floes to unbalance a tasty meal is another trick. Killer
Whale