top of page

MORE FACTS ABOUT DOLPHINS

DOLPHINS AREN'T FISH, THEY ARE MAMMALS THAT BREATHE AIR.

  • They have lungs, not gills.

    • A dolphin breathes through a blowhole on the top of it’s head.

      • It comes up to the water surface of to get air.

    • Dolphins breathe around  4 or 5 times a minute.

      • Humans breathe around 12-16 times a minute.

Dolphins are mammals
Dolphin%20and%20baby_edited.jpg

Photo by Adrien Aletti on Unsplash

Mother and baby dolphin

Blowhole

  • BENEFITS OF HALF-BRAINED SLEEPING

    • The half that’s awake makes dolphins:

      • Come up for air

        • Sleeping dolphins come up for air several times minute.

      • Stay close to other dolphins.

        • They may swim in pods of 1000 other dolphins.

      • Keep one eye out for danger.

        • Killer whales (killer whales are a large species of dolphin) prey on dolphins.

Benefits of half brained sleep
  • THE TWO HALVES OF THE BRAIN TAKE TURNS SLEEPING.

    • When the left side of the brain sleeps, the right eye closes.

    • When the right side of the brain sleeps, the left eye closes.

      • Messages from each eye go to the opposite side of the brain.

    • Dolphins sleep while slowly swimming near the surface of the water,

Halves of brain take turns
  • Other half-brain sleepers include

    • Mallard ducks

    • Pigeons

    • Northern fur seals

    • Great frigate birds, while flying in a flock.

Other half-brained
bottom of page