The animal kingdom is full of interesting creatures with unique capabilities. Dolphins are on that list as well. Known for their high intelligence and friendliness to humans, dolphins are beloved by many. But they’re also interesting to learn about as there are a few weird facts about dolphins that most don’t know. From their unique communication style to the way their brain functions, these are some of the top weird facts about dolphins.
6. Long Life Expectancy
The lifespan of dolphins is one of the many weird facts that most don’t know. And of course, not all dolphins live such a long life. The average lifespan of dolphins ranges from 25 to 50 years depending on several factors.
Most dolphins are not considered endangered, but two species — the Yangtze River dolphin and the Atlantic humpback dolphin — are critically endangered. Some threats that play a factor in dolphin’s life expectancy include the climate crisis and pollution that affect habitats and food.
5. Switching the Brain Off
Don’t we all wish we could just switch our brains off sometimes? Dolphins, interestingly enough, can. One of the many weird facts about dolphins is something called unihemispheric sleep.
This essentially allows dolphins to sleep while still staying alert around them, which means only half of their brain is shut off. What’s even more crazy is that dolphins have the ability to stay alert for 15 days in a row without sleep.
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4. Unique Identifiers
If you’ve ever watched a documentary or seen it in person, you’ve probably heard the sounds dolphins make.
They have a high-pitched whistling sound, or “eee”, that helps them communicate with each other and locate prey. But did you know that each dolphin has a unique identifier, or signature whistle, that essentially is their name? This helps identify one another. Dolphins are known to be very chatty creatures, so it’s just one of the many ways that dolphins have created and evolved their communication system.
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3. Longest Memory
A more puzzling, weird fact about dolphins is their memory. While we know that they can switch their brain off, they communicate in their own special way, but did you know that they have the longest memories in the animal kingdom? That’s right. These chatty creatures not only love to talk, but they also remember the friends they’ve made throughout their lives.
In 2013, dolphins that were old tank mates were reunited after 20 years, and they recognized each other. So much evidence has shown that dolphins truly are highly intelligent.
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2. The Threat of Noise Pollution
One of the most common facts about dolphins is their tool of echolocation. This just means they use their noises to communicate, navigate, and hunt underwater. However, when there is an abundance of noise, this can throw off their whole system.
Noise pollution, which is caused by the hunt for fossil fuels, has increasingly become more and more of a threat. The noise underwater is interfering with dolphins, and other sea life, throwing their bodies out of balance and even risking their health.
1. Their Mysterious Language
With so many weird facts about dolphins, it’s hard to find the top one. But their language has to be talked about. We’ve covered that they’re chatty and they even have identifiers behind the sounds, but that still doesn’t mean anyone understands it.
In fact, dolphin’s language is still a mystery to scientists. Scientists have not yet broken down the individual units of dolphin sounds, and they’re still trying to figure out the animal’s vocalizations to their behavior, which frustrates researchers.
