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A dolphin’s flippers actually have
finger-like bones inside! Scientists believe that dolphins used to be land animals. 50-60
million years ago, these land animals started living in the water so they could catch fish
easier. As they became better swimmers, they became more like dolphins, and less
like land animals. Today, they still have finger bones because they used to have
arms and legs on land! The dolphin’s tail fluke
(fin) is not perpendicular (up and down) like a fish or a shark. Instead, the
fluke spreads out side to side. When a dolphin swims, he pushes his tail fluke up
and down to help him dive or leap out of the water. The fin on top of a dolphin is
called the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin helps dolphins steer through the water
and it also helps them to balance from sliding to one side to the other. 
COMMUNITYDolphins like to live in warm, shallow waters along the coast. Sometimes they come into large rivers and sometimes they go further out to sea. Dolphins live in family groups called pods. There are often about twelve dolphins in a pod, but sometimes several hundred dolphins get together. They don’t usually migrate, but they may follow schools of fish that are moving. Dolphins may seem friendly, but they are still wild animals. Never swim up to a wild dolphin!
HUNTINGThe dolphins’ powerful tail fluke also helps them hunt; they can chase fish at 45 miles per hour.
BABY DOLPHINS
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Fun Fact for today:
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(Check back tomorrow for another dolphin fun fact!) |
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More Dolphin Anatomy: Mouth, Melon, Blowhole, Fins, Belly, Fluke, Inside or Calves
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