Dolphins  

Dolphins have a highly developed sense of hearing. They can hear low pitched & high pitched noises, even noises humans cannot hear. They have very good eyesight & a keen sense of touch. All of these functions will work above & below the surface of the ocean. Dolphins communicate through high pitched squeals & squeaks called "echolocation,"which helps them find their way through the water,find food, & of course communicate. The organ on the top of their head called the "melon" allows sounds to leave its body. The melon is an organ with special fatty tissue that directs the sounds forward. Echoes are produced when sound reflects off the object in front of the dolphin. The males are the bulls & the females are cows. To mate, they head-bump each other. The baby is called a calf. A newborn is about a third longer than its mother. Male dolphins take no part in caring for the young. Most species of dolphin live to be 25 years old. They can't live without water long because they will over heat. Dolphins will sometimes use their fins/flippers to keep an ill dolphin near the surface. Humans & dolphins go back thousands of years. Ancient Greek artists decorated coins, pottery, with walls & pictures of the dolphins. They also appear in Greek & Roman mythology. The Roman & the Greeks considered the common dolphin sacred to the God Apollo.