Bahamas Week 4

The other day we were at Conception Island in the Bahamas and I got to see a Dolphin in the water for my first time! It was so cool and amazing being able to see him do spins and flips, and leaping out of the water for a breath of air! The Dolphin was swimming around my Dad and was playing with him, coming up and smiling at him!

Did you know that Dolphins aren’t actually fish and are mammals just like us! They come up every 30 seconds or so to breath but can actually hold their breath for 6-7 minutes. They have 100 teeth that are used to catch fish but not chew. Instead they swallow it… whole. Dolphins will herd fish in close to the beach to be able to form a fence to catch them. They have very very good hearing and can see well. Their ears are the size of pinholes so you can’t really see them. Their skin is really smooth and helps them go fast through the water. Men have studied this and now some boats use a similar material to help them do the same thing. Their blowhole is their nose and it allows them to breath. It opens and closes like a fist to let in air and it closes when they go under so water can’t get in. Dolphins sleep about 2-3 feet below the surface. Every 30 seconds they push their tail to go up to get a breath of air and then drift down. Dolphins have enemies that are the Killer Whale and the Shark. If either of these attack they will form a group so it is more difficult to get to them and defend themselves by hitting the enemies with their tails, butting them with their heads, and biting them with their teeth.

When Dolphins are born, they are born tail first and immediately have to take a breath of air. Sometimes the Mom and another Dolphin will help him do that. They will also keep him safe by forming a fence around him and help him learn the ways of the sea. I believe a baby Dolphin is called a Pup. If a baby pup is lost, the Mom and the Pup will whistle through their blowholes until they find each other. If there is danger or the pup is doing something wrong, the Male Dad will make a series of clicking sounds with his teeth to warn the pup. Also, the Dad will sometimes hold on to the baby’s tail, like a spanking, to punish him.

If a Dolphin needs help or is hurt, the other Dolphins will often help. One time, someone saw Dolphins helping an injured Dolphin who had hit a boat and was sinking. They brought him to the surface 3 times until he could swim on his own and breath.

An Oceanarium is a place to study Dolphins to see what they are like. You can train dolphins to do flips in the air and jump through rings, ring bells, bow, shake hands with their flippers, put out fires with their tails, wave to people, and sing through their blowholes which they do by whistling. Dolphins will also play and tease sea animals like turtles and fish.

I would love the opportunity to swim with Dolphins because they seem so much like us and are really amazing animals, it would be so much fun to play with them! What fascinating Mammals they are! Maybe… I will get a chance to snorkel with them one day in the Bahamas!