DOLPHINS

DOLPHINS

Do we know dolphins?

A normal person – Of course we know! - he will answer. Is there anyone who doesn't know dolphins? They are smart and cheerful, elegant and agile, playful and noble-spirited. Of course, all these expressions describe dolphins. We can see dolphins on coins and postage stamps, on gifts and logos, we can even find dolphin figures made of marble and gold. Songs have been written and movies made about dolphins. Painters also like to depict the muscular bodies and perfect body structures of dolphins. You have probably seen flocks of dolphins accompanying ships and boats in the seas. Three types of dolphins live in the Black Sea: bottlenose dolphin (bottlenose dolphin), harbor porpoise (harbor dolphin) and dolphin (short-beaked dolphin). The largest dolphin of the Black Sea is the bottlenose dolphin. Its length can reach 3 meters and its weight is between 150-250 kilograms. This is the most well-known dolphin species – and the star of many dolphin shows. This type of dolphins - bottlenose dolphins - are also present in the Istanbul Dolphinarium dolphin show center.

Today, dolphins are studied in dozens of scientific research institutes. Many people mistakenly identify dolphins as fish. Even though we call them dolphins, dolphins are not fish. Dolphins are members of the Mammal class, which includes humans. Dolphins are warm-blooded, they breathe with their lungs, they give birth to their cubs, feed them with milk and raise them by training them. Their lifespan is 24-25 years. Dolphins are toothed whales. Are you surprised? Dolphins are the smallest members of the whale family. They are related to the Great Blue Whales and the Toothed Scapula.

Does the dolphin have a nose?

Dolphins do not have a nose as humans understand it. Although we have often read or heard that dolphins "hit the ball with their nose"... The nose of the dolphin, together with the mouth, is called "rostrum" and the dolphin cannot breathe with the rostrum. Dolphins breathe thanks to the breathing hole located on the top of their heads. During diving, the breathing hole is automatically closed with elastic “plugs”. Neither water nor food can enter the respiratory system. Therefore, dolphins can feed in deep waters without fear of drowning. Dolphins are excellent hunters and can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h, and they have the ability to store oxygen in their tissues, especially in their muscles. For this reason, they can stay at a depth of 200 meters for up to 10 minutes. By comparison, only very well-trained people can hold their breath for about 2.5 minutes.

How do dolphins sleep?

Dolphins sleep on the water surface. Scientists have proven that during sleep, the right and left parts of the brain rest respectively, and the part of the brain that is not sleeping controls the living creature's breathing and other functions of the body.

How do dolphins hear and talk?

Although dolphins do not have ears as humans understand them, they live in a real world of sound. Dolphins make sounds with their forehead area and hear with their lower jaw. As you know, sound waves enter the body in water. The lower jaw of dolphins is filled with an oil-like substance that can perfectly transmit sound. Dolphins focus their sonar sound signals on the object of interest. According to its features, the sonar of dolphins is many times superior to the best sonar known today. Dolphins can detect schools of fish from 3 kilometers away and even identify the type of fish. Dolphins can see very well even at night and in dark waters.

Body language: Dolphins can communicate with each other through their different postures, swimming types, jumps, turns, and movements with their heads, tails and fins.
Sound language: It manifests itself in the form of sound pulses and ultrasound waves. These may be: chirping, clicking, squeaking, squeaking, banging, screaming, shouting, quacking. The most striking are the whistles, which can be distinguished into approximately 32 different varieties. Each of these may contain a certain meaning (signals such as pain, warning, greeting, call, etc.). Despite countless studies, it has not yet been possible to completely decipher the language of dolphins.

Are dolphins intelligent animals?

Why do dolphins attract our attention so much? The more we accept that Dolphins are the smartest animals that are friendly to humans, the more they attract our attention. Dolphins have a very large brain. For example, while the human brain weighs around 1.4 kilograms on average, the brain of dolphins weighs on average 1.7 kilograms. In addition, the brain folds of dolphins are twice as large as the folds of the human brain. This explains the extraordinary intelligence and speed of thought of dolphins. Dolphins move and perceive with enviable speed. Dolphins can be trained very quickly and have an excellent memory. In addition, there are 50% more neurons in the dolphin brain than in humans. Therefore, dolphins can learn one and a half times more information than we can. So, does this show that dolphins are at the same level as humans intellectually? Dolphins live in a completely different environment, they have a different lifestyle, they perceive the outside world in a different way than we do...

We kill our loved ones.

Dolphin hunting is prohibited in the Black Sea. Türkiye banned dolphin hunting in 1983. The bottlenose dolphin is included in the international Red List of animals in danger of extinction and in the United Nations General Conservation Plan for Marine Mammals. Despite this, the future of Black Sea dolphins is still in danger. The reason for this is the active industrial activities of humanity, which cause the seas to become more polluted every year. Factories and industrial facilities throw their waste into the sea, poisoning us, dolphins and other marine creatures. Hundreds of dolphins die in fishing nets every year. What can each of us do to save dolphins and marine creatures? Start with the simplest thing – don't throw anything into the sea that the sea can't digest. These are: plastic packages, plates, bottles and other garbage. What will happen in the future? The answer to this question depends on us. We must protect dolphins and the entire animal kingdom. Dolphins love us unconditionally, and we must show that our love is not just in words.