The Dolphin or Porpoise - Marine Mammal

The Dolphin is not a fish but an marine mammal who lives in all the seas of the world. It follows the fish schools to for food and is one of the best hunters in the ocean.

Its back is black or different shades of grey and its belly is white. Its skin is plain and smooth, which enables them to swim at a speed of up to 44 km hour. It measures from 1 to 4 meters and its weight goes from 70 kg to 400 kg according to where it's from and what particular species it is.

Curiously the dolphin can see from top to bottom and behind him but does not see very well in front. It makes use of its sonar which emits ultrasounds which return to him the locate obstacles and the fish schools.

The dolphin is a warm-blooded animal with a thick layer of fat under its skin that helps to keep its temperature between 35 and 36 degrees C°. It is a very social animal which lives in group and spends its days to drive out fish and with a playful nature it swims, leaps and plunges in the water seemingly to amuse itself.

The dolphin chooses a new partner at each year and mating occurs in October or December. The gestation period lasts approximately 360 days. The baby is born the tail in first and it can swim already. Offspring of the dolphin will be mature between 5 to 6 years. While the birth is going on, two other females protect the baby and the mother against other predators. Its principal enemy is the killer whale even though it is in same family.

The fishermen follow the dolphins to detect the fish schools and to make fishing more profitable. The species most captured by men, is the large dolphin. Dolphin are often kept in captivity for the amusement of people but it shortens their life considerably. A dolphin in the wild can live up to forty years but the average life-span of those in captivity is merely seven years.