Bottlenose dolphins

Bottlenose dolphin at 10,000 islands. 

Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus

The bottlenose dolphins belongs to the Delphinidae family. 

They are grey all over with small eyes. 

The dolphins are slim and streamlined to help them to go fast in the water, eighteen miles per hour. They are mammals so need oxygen to survive, they breech the surface every three minutes. 

They are extremely social animals, they stick together forming large pods. The use echolocation and clicks to communicate with each other. Echolocation is also used for hunting prey, the clicks are sent out by the melon and when they reach a object they bounce back and this tells the dolphin how big the object is, the shape and the where it is. They feed on crustaceans and squid. 

They are found in warm water, they are in danger as by-catch from fishing boats. 

The pregnancy last for twelve months. The calves are usually born in the summer and autumn. The female is able to give birth once every two years. The calves are born in water tail first, the pod gather round the expectant mother to assist, one the calf if out the 'auntie' dolphin will assist it to the surface to take its first breathes. The calves are a darker grey than the adults. The calf will suckle from the mothers teats for around eighteen months. 

Entertainment, S. (2015). [online] Seaworld.org. Available at: http://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/bottlenose-dolphins/birth-and-care-of-young/ [Accessed 15 Apr. 2015].

Society, N. (2015). Bottlenose Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphin Pictures, Bottlenose Dolphin Facts - National Geographic. [online] National Geographic. Available at: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bottlenose-dolphin/ [Accessed 15 Apr. 2015].