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Fun Facts about Dolphins
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The scientific names for dolphins is delphinus dolphis, which has both Latin and Greek roots.
There are 38 marine dolphins and 5 river dolphins making a total of 43 discovered dolphin species. Did you know that a mother dolphin does not sleep for months after their calf is born. Most dolphins live 20+ years. The Orca and the longed-finned Pilot Whale are both part of the dolphins species. With that in mind, dolphins can be from 90 pound and 4 feet, to 11 tons and 30 feet, and all sizes in between. Different species of dolphins live throughout both tropical and temperate waters. It is illegal to have dolphins for personal company. They can only be taken care of with permits. Those permits have to ensure that the carer is taking the dolphin for either educational purposes or for permitted research. Unfortunately, their has been a rise in dolphin captivity in the Pacific Ocean, and dolphin captivity in North America, although regulated, has been under scrutiny from experts who say the death toll of dolphins in these facilities is unnerving. SeaWorld Parks, known for its marine animal exhibits, alone has has 62 deaths of bottlenose dolphins in the past 10 years alone. |