Types Of Dolphins
The Many Types Of Dolphins
There are more types of dolphins than we might think. In fact, the one dolphin we see the most is the Bottlenose Dolphin. This star of marine shows, movies, and even a military trainee, is noted for its extreme intelligence and seemingly permanent smile. No doubt many think that this is the only dolphin in existence. The fact is there are over thirty types of dolphin in the world. The number may exceed 40, but it depends upon who you talk to. There are 32 types of dolphins which live in the oceans of the world, and another 5 species that live in rivers, and are appropriately named river dolphins. Some add porpoises to the list, which they really should not, and some do not include the Killer Whale, thinking it is a whale when in fact it is a dolphin, a rather fierce one to be sure.
Range – Many of the types of dolphins can be found in all the oceans of the world. On the other hand, some live primarily in the Northern Hemisphere and others live mainly in the Southern Hemisphere. A few live only in one or two areas, such as dolphins which frequent the waters around Australia and New Zealand, and are found nowhere else. River dolphins are as might be expected found only in rivers, or near the mouths of rivers such as the Amazon, the Indus and the Ganges. Some dolphins have numerous predators to contend with, sometimes including other dolphin species. Others, like the Killer Whale, have no predators, and can go about as they please. More about the Killer Whale later.
A Short List - Rather than go through the entire list of types of dolphins, a shortened list is given here, just to give some credence to the fact that many different types exist, most of which we seldom have the opportunity to see. The most commonly seen dolphins are the Bottlenose Dolphin and the Killer Whale, followed by the Common Dolphin, the Atlantic and Pacific White-Sided Dolphins and the Northern and Southern Right Whale Dolphins. Dolphins often mistaken as being members of the whale family are the False Killer Whale, the Long-Finned Pilot Whale, the Short-Finned Pilot Whale, and the Pygmy Killer Whale. And there are many more. Dolphins vary in size, from the Killer Whale, which can weigh up to 8 tons and attain a length approaching 30 feet, to Hector's Dolphin which seldom exceeds 3 feet in length, and weighs around 100 pounds.
The Bottlenose Dolphin - The Bottlenose Dolphin is the type that is best known, often seen leaping high into the air and through a hoop in a Marine World type setting, or skimming through the water near the bow of a moving ship. This dolphin definitely has a playful sense, in addition to being one of the most intelligent of all God's creatures. It is found throughout the seas of the world, and is not considered to be an endangered species, although man is its primary predator, and fishing nets often its major threat.
The Killer Whale - The Killer Whale, also known as the Orca, and also called a Blackfish in some locales, is also occasionally found in a Marine or Sea World type of exhibition. The most unusual fact about this dolphin is it is a fearless predator, and an opportunistic feeder, though is almost always gentle and sociable around humans. To date there are no known instances of a Killer Whale attacking a human, though if one ever did, it would finish the job more quickly than any shark ever could. Sharks, which prey on some species of dolphins, not only leave Killer Whales alone, but keep their distance. It may be the black and white pattern of the Killer Whale, which gives it an almost clownish appearance that makes this fierce predator almost universally loved. A group of killer whales by the way is called a pod, and the makeup of a pod remains fairly constant year in and year out. Scientists who follow the migration of a Killer Whale pod from place to place, often give the individual dolphins names, as they can usually be identified by variations in their fin markings or scars.
If you should see a Killer Whale or Bottlenose Dolphin in an exhibition, it may be the only type you will ever see, but just remember there are many more types of dolphins out there to be discovered, if you take the time to go looking.