interesting dolphin facts

September 6, 2009 | In: Animal facts for kids

Dolphins cannot go into a full deep sleep, because then they would suffocate.

Their streamlined bodies allow them to swim at speeds of 13 to 18 miles per hour, propelled only by small movements of their tails.

Some kinds of dolphins can hold their breath for 30 minutes.

The dolphin can live to be 30 years old.

Thousands of people have credited dolphins with having healing powers.

Many dolphins are playful and acrobatic by nature, and one particular type of dolphin, the spinner dolphin, has its own special trick. Its name comes from the spinner’s ability to jump clear of the water and spin on a longitudinal axis (from head to tail) up to four times before diving back into the water. This gravity-defying display may be a form of communication — or it might just be fun. Spinners are often seen frolicking around ships in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

The Orca or killer whale is the largest species of dolphins.

An adult dolphin can consume up to 30 pounds of fish, or even more, in a single day.

In case of some dolphins, it has been seen that they can dive as deep as 1,000 feet.

Dolphins don’t make any noises with their mouth. They don’t even have vocal cords. All sounds come through the dolphin’s blowhole!