Bottlenose Dolphin
Dolphins can swim in short bursts upto 25 miles per hour, and their fluke (tail) and peduncle (tail base) help them swim so fast.
You can identify an individual dolphin by the shape of its dorsal fin and its fluke shape. The dorsal fin and fluke shape are unique for every dolphin, much like a human fingerprint. Each dolphin also has their very own, unique signature whistle.
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Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins are the species of dolphins found in Hilton Head.
Dolphin Educational Video with Pinky Plankton
Downloadable worksheets about Dolphins
Dolphins can live to be around 40-50 years old, but some female dolphins have been seen to outlive their male counterparts and reach over 60 years.
The largest kind of dolphin in the world may surprise you, its an Orca! These guys can be anywhere from 16-26 feet long and weigh between 3 and 6 tons. The dorsal fins of males can be close to 6 feet while female dorsal fins tend to be about half that height.
Most dolphins have rake marks, or scratches, on them from other dolphins. Scratching other dolphins with their teeth is a way they communicate with each other.
The dolphins in Hilton Head have a unique way of hunting called strand feeding. This is when they get together and push a big wave of water onto a mudbank and eat the fish they’ve trapped, then wiggle back into the water.
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Dolphins can see with sound even in murky water ,by using sonar, or echolocation
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You can identify an individual dolphin by the shape of its dorsal fin and its fluke shape. The dorsal fin and fluke shape are unique for every dolphin, much like a human fingerprint. Each dolphin also has their very own, unique signature whistle.
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Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins are the species of dolphins found in Hilton Head.
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