Pic credit : www.dolphins-world.com/
Even though
dolphins have 100 teeth, they don’t use them for eating. They do use them to
get the fish though and then they swallow them. They can consume up to 30
pounds fish per day. They usually work as a team in their pod to get the school
of fish surrounded and balled up. From there, they can plow through the middle
and eat plenty as they do so. Dolphins
are highly intelligent marine mammals and are part of the family of toothed
whales that includes orcas and pilot whales. They are found worldwide, mostly
in shallow seas of the continental shelves.
Dolphins are well known for their agility and playful behavior, making
them a favorite of wildlife watchers.
Dolphins live in
social groups of five to several hundred. They use echolocation to find prey
and often hunt together by surrounding a school of fish, trapping them and
taking turns swimming through the school and catching fish. Dolphins can swim
at a speed of up to 25 miles per hour for a long time. This is about 3 times
faster than the fastest humans in the world. The average lifespan of a dolphin is 17 years.
However, some of them that have been observed in the wild lived about 50 years.
A group of dolphins is called a pod. The
bonds of dolphins in a pod are very intense. They have been observed carrying
for the sick, the elderly, and those that have been injured with great care. They
are able to see well in the water due to the retina gathering light in a unique
way. The skin of the dolphin is very
delicate and it can easily be damaged by contact with other surfaces.
There is news that world’s largest operator of dolphin parks may open yet another facility — this time in St. Lucia — but many concerned locals, scientists and animal advocates are trying to put a stop to it. Dolphin Discovery owns captive dolphin facilities around the world and offers visitors the opportunity to interact with the marine mammals. Even though to tourists it may seem like a dream to swim with a dolphin, to dolphins it can be quite harmful. Undercover investigators continue to expose the dark side of these tourist programs. Fortunately, the world is continuing to turn against keeping whales and dolphins in captivity, and the tourism industry is taking steps to stop promoting these types of programs. Down under, New Zealand's Maui dolphin, the world's smallest, is headed to extinction after a half-century of lethal encounters with fishermen's nets, says a report of government-funded scientists detailing its decline and opposition Labour and Greens call for net bans - which opinion polls show most Kiwis support - the ruling National Party, headed by a fishing magnate, denies there is any problem. But if you ever thought that dolphins are adored across the globe, you are wrong ~ and read this report in MailOnline .. .. .. Sicilian fisherman have started shooting dolphins with spear guns and rifles, claiming that the protected species it eating too many fish and destroying their nets. The Italian fishermen have launched a two-day strike over the 'greedy' striped and bottlenose dolphins, claiming they're ruining their livelihood around the Aeolian Islands. Filicudi Wildlife Conservation estimated that there are approximately 100 dolphins in the region. Fishermen say revenues from sales have dropped by 70 per cent in some areas. An official of a local fishing cooperative that represents 119 fishing boats, said the fishermen are calling for a state of natural disaster declaration and are seeking compensation from the government. According to them - 'Every night, there is a war for survival,' 'We must clarify, we don't have anything against dolphins, but a we must find a solution: It's either fishermen or them [dolphins].' The fishermen say that the dolphins have learned to follow their boats and raid their nets of fish. As the dolphins eat up the fish in the area, fishermen are going to extreme measures to get rid of the mammals. There have been increased instances of animals washing up on the beaches having been shot with spear guns ! The battle between fishermen and dolphins is particularly fierce in the Aeolian Islands , an archipelago of volcanic islands in the bay between Sicily and Italy's mainland. As the dolphins eat up the fish in the area, fishermen are going to extreme measures to get rid of the mammals by shooting them with spear guns and rifles. A spokeswoman from Filicudi Wildlife Conservation said that the number of dolphins is not any larger than it was 15 years ago. 'The problem is that fish has decreased in the sea and cetaceans swim closer to boats to eat,' she added. One solution to keep dolphins away from boats is to provide devices with 'pinger' devices, that will emit a frequency that will repel dolphins but not fish. The device will be trialed on some boats in May. So dolphins too get killed by fishermen who for protecting their commercial interests, are out to kill ! With regards – S. Sampathkumar
23rd Mar 2017.
