Skip to the fun stuff
Meet the dolphin
Dolphins develop signature whistles as babies and use each other's whistles to call friends, even after 20 years apart.
🏡 Oceans and some rivers worldwide.🍽️ Fish and squid, often herded cooperatively.⏳ 40–60 years.🛡️ Some river dolphin species are critically endangered; bycatch is a major threat everywhere.
Friends and family
Pods have alliances and friendships that last decades.
Calves stay with their mothers for up to six years.
How they talk
Whistles, clicks and body slaps; each dolphin has a name-whistle.
How clever are they?
Dolphins understand pointing, learn symbol languages and cooperate on timed tasks.
What they feel
Dolphins support injured pod-mates at the surface so they can breathe.
Superpower: Sound sight
Dolphin echolocation can tell a metal ball from a plastic one at 100 metres.
🤓 Did you know?
- Dolphins remember friends' name-whistles after 20 years.
- Some dolphins wear sponges on their beaks as tools.
- Dolphins sleep with one half of the brain at a time.
Living alongside people
Dolphins drown in fishing nets, and many are kept in captivity for shows — increasingly restricted by law.