Dolphin Life Cycle
Facts About the Dolphin Life Cycle & Birthing Process
The dolphin life cycle begins at birth; like other mammals a dolphin will give birth to live babies as apposed to laying eggs that will later hatch. Although there are several breeds of dolphins, their life cycle is about the same.
Dolphins are one of the most intelligent mammals in existence, not only are they social animals, but they can interact with humans to a point, and have even been known to save a human’s life if lost at sea. These sea creatures have fascinated people since their discovery, and they are no less fascinating now.
The dolphin life cycle actually begins with the reproductive cycle. For a mammal to give birth is no easy accomplishment, but it can be very difficult to do at sea, which is how dolphins must give birth. After dolphins mate the female’s pregnancy will last between 11 to 12 months. The exact length of the pregnancy depends on the species of dolphin; while some will be pregnant for 11 months, others will carry their baby for up to 1 year.
When a dolphin is born it will be born tail first; the babies will know how to swim as soon as they are born. In most cases a dolphin will stay with the group it was born in, even after it reaches maturity. This is usually the mother’s group.
As part of the dolphin life cycle it will reach sexual maturity at about 7 to 12 years of age for a female and 10 to 15 years of age for a male. The exact age varies on species and the region of the world that they inhabit. Dolphins do not stay with the same mate throughout their lives so there may be many different mates during a dolphin life cycle. A female will usually give birth about every 4 or 5 years. A dolphin may have up to 11 calves in her lifetime, mating up until she reaches her 40s. The reason there is so much time between births is because a dolphin female will care for her young for quite some time before they will let the calf take care of itself.
One of the most interesting things about the birth process of a dolphin is in how much it resembles the birth process of humans. When a female dolphin is ready to give birth another female dolphin will be present to help her with the birth; she is sort of dolphin midwife. After the dolphin is born they will help it to the surface so that it can take its first breath of air.
When a female dolphin begins the birthing process she must be very watchful for predators. It will take about 3 hours for her to give birth, and during this time there will be blood, just like there is with humans. This will of course attack one of the dolphin’s biggest enemies, sharks. To help the mother while she is giving birth the other dolphins in her group will form a circle around her to try and keep her safe from predators while she is giving birth.
Just like human babies, dolphins will drink milk from their mother, but feeding underwater can be a little difficult. It is for this reason that the dolphin has evolved in a way that helps them nurse their young underwater. The female dolphin can actually squirt her milk into the mouth of her baby.
Depending on the species of dolphin, the dolphin life cycle will begin at birth and last until they are between 35 and 55 years old, with most females not living too much past their reproductive years.