A bout Dolphins Dolphins are mammals, not fish. They are warm blooded like man, and give birth to one baby called a calf at a time. At birth a bottlenose dolphin calf is about 90-130 cms long and will grow to approx. 4 metres, living up to 40 years. They are highly sociable animals, living in pods which are fairly fluid, with dolphins from other pods interacting with eachother from time to time.
Dolphins use their powerful tail flukes in an up and down motion to move through the water.
They also use their tails when hunting, hitting a fleeing fish up into the air with their tail, stunning it, then scooping the fish up when it falls back into the water. A dolphin slapping its tail on the water in the wild may be a sign of annoyance, or a warning to other dolphins of danger. Just how powerful their tail muscles are is demonstrated here Their pectoral flippers are used to steer them through the water, and they also use them to stroke one another, increasing the social bond between them. Dolphins that appear to be closely bonded may swim in synchrony, twisting, turning and swimming in perfect harmony together. Their teeth are interlocking rows of conical pegs, suitable for holding slippery fish.