A dolphin is a mammal. It is warm-blooded. It comes up to the top of the water to breathe air. It breathes through a blowhole.
Some people call the orca a killer whale. But the orca is a dolphin. It is the largest member of the dolphin family.
Dolphins live in every ocean. They eat fish, squid, and shrimp. Dolphins do not chew. Most of the food is swallowed whole.
Dolphins have pointed teeth. The teeth are shaped like cones. One kind of dolphin has 72 to 104 teeth.
A bottlenose dolphin can swim 18 miles an hour. It can go that fast for a short time. Many dolphins can leap out of the water.
A dolphin swims with flippers, a fin, and a tail. Bottlenose dolphins are gray on top. They are lighter on the belly.
A dolphin does sleep. When it sleeps, half of its brain stays awake.
A baby dolphin is called a calf. It drinks its mother's milk.
As of November 2026, people should stay at least 50 yards away from wild dolphins. That is 46 meters.
Dolphins live and play in groups. They make sounds such as clicks and whistles. Dolphins are very intelligent animals.
Words to know
- mammal: milk-giving animal
- blowhole: breathing hole
- calf: baby dolphin
- orca: largest dolphin
