How Do Dolphins Protect Themselves?

About Dolphins

Dolphins are intelligent, friendly marine mammals. Many dolphins are a gray color, but they can also be white, tan, black, black and white, or a blue-gray color. They swim in groups called pods. The pods are larger in the open ocean, along the coasts the pods tend to be smaller. Sometimes pods will join together to form a super-pod.

Dolphins Protect Themselves By Living in Pods

Dolphins are very social animals. By living in pods, they are able to help and protect each other. Female dolphins stay with their young during the first year of life. Other female dolphins even "babysit" another dolphin's calf. When a dolphin is sick or injured, other dolphins tend to its needs. Living in pods is especially important when killer whales or sharks are nearby. If a shark tries to attack a dolphin in the pod, the other dolphins will circle the shark. Then they swim into the shark's underbelly, striking it with their snouts. A dolphin might also lie calmly in the water, tricking a predator into thinking it is dead. Sharks and killer whales tend to like only fresh meat, so the predator will usually swim past a dolphin playing dead. Dolphins also hunt together. The pod circles prey until the fish cannot escape. The dolphins then take turns swimming into the circle to eat the prey. Sometimes dolphins chase prey into shallow water where they can capture it easier.

Dolphins Have Special Features That Help Protect Them

A dolphin's body is specially designed for swimming quickly through the ocean waters. Its smooth, streamlined body helps it swim about 22 miles per hour. The dolphin also has a powerful fluke that propels it through the water, warding off enemies. Dolphins have a special ability to communicate with each other through a series of clicks and squeaking sounds. They use this communication to warn each other of danger, announce location of food and attract mates. Dolphins have very good eyesight. They have a wide range of vision that helps them stay on the look out for predators. A dolphin also has a good sense of hearing. It uses its hearing for echolocation, which helps the dolphin know the location of objects.