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Wednesday, March 4, 2015

There are 32 species of marine dolphins, four types of river dolphins, and six types of porpoises.

Killing a dolphin in ancient Greece was considered sacrilegious and was punishable by death.

Dolphins have been venerated since ancient Greece where they were called hieros ichthys "sacred fish," and the Greeks believed the sun god, Apollo, assumed the form of a dolphin when he founded his oracle at Delphi at Mount Parnassus.

In Rome, dolphins were thought to carry souls to the "Islands of the Blest," and images of dolphins have been found in the hands of Roman mummies, presumably to ensure their safe passage to the afterlife.



Today's Random Fact:

Unlike a fish, which moves its tale from side to side, a dolphin swims by moving its tale (made up of flukes) up and down. And a dolphin carries more oxygen in its blood than a fish and can swim longer than a fish...hence, dolphins are better adapted to the sea than are any fish.

The killer whale is the largest dolphin. The smallest dolphin is the Hector or Maui Dolphin, of which only 150 are left today. The narwhal dolphin has a large ivory tusk (like a unicorn) which is often poached. The only remaining populations are in the Greenland Sea and Baffin Bay.

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Bonus Fact:

Dolphins typically do not live alone, but rather in schools or pods. They have a complex social structure. Unlike most wild animals, dolphins spend a lot of time enjoying sex and foreplay that is not determined by being 'in season' or the urge to procreate.

While most wild animals avoid contact with humans, wild dolphins are known to play and associate with humans, especially children. Sadly, dolphin's most dangerous enemy is also humans.