Dolphin

__**Appearance**__
Dolphins are beautiful. They are shiny when they jump out of the water if it is sunny. Dolphins have dorsal fins on their backs like most fish do. They have 2 flippers on their side and a tail called a fluke. This helps them swim really fast. Dolphins are 1.2m to 9 meters long. Their bodies are long and narrow and they have a dark back and and a light coloured belly. Their ears are right beside their eyes and they are holes.

__**Habitat**__
Dolphins live in lakes, rivers, and salt water oceans. They live in oceans all over the world. Most dolphins live in large herds all over the place following the fish that they eat. They do not like cold water. Some live along our coast and you can see them at Bere Point.

__**Diet**__
Dolphins like to eat jellyfish, cuttlefish, squid and fish. They scare fish to the surface and eat them all up. They also eat shrimp,octopus and dolphins. Dolphins whack fish with there tails to kill or knock them out then eat them. Dolphins swallow fish head frist and do not eat rotten fish. Dolphins fatten up when there is lots of food. River dolphins eat clams and crabs.

__**Predators**__
Dolphins have only a few predators. Dolphins protect themselves with camouflage and swim in big groups. Killer whales are the largest predators of the dolphins. Dolphins may ram a shark to protect their babies. Fish nets also kill dolphins. Dolphins live all over the world.

__**Offspring**__
Young dolphins are called calves. They give birth every two to three years. Dolphins only have one calf at a time. They have to be born in water, or they will die. The calf is born head first. Babies that are born tail first may die before they are free from their mommy. New born babies can see, hear and swim. Calves drink milk from their mom for three years.

__**Adaptations**__
Dolphins have long steam lined bodies so they can swim around faster. The dolphins have cone shaped teeth to hold the fish they eat. They make sound and then it bounces back to them, so they know what is around them. This is called echolocation. They use echolocation to find their food and to swim away from their predators.

__**Cool Facts**__
Young dolphins are born head first, because if they are born tail first they can drown before they are free from their mother. Baby dolphins live with their mom for six years. Isn't that cool? Many dolphins hunt in groups, like hundreds or thousands of dolphins. Dolphins live in Australia and South America. There are more than 30 kinds of dolphins. Did you know that Orcas are part of the dolphin family? These are cool facts about dolphins.

References @http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/pacific_white-sided_dolphin_k6.html @http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/animals/pacdol.htm

Stoops, Erik D., Martin, Jeffrey, Stone, Debbie Lynne. __Dolphins__. New York: Coal Inc, 1996. Holmes, Kevin J. __Dolphins__. Mankato: Capstone, 1998. Houghton, Sue. __Dolphin__. U.S.A: Troll Associates, 1994.