World Dolphin Day!

Happy World Dolphin Day, everyone!

Dolphins are aquatic mammals. There are 40 extant species of dolphins, and they're rather common critters, depicted in numerous cultures. Many of them prefer the warmer waters of the tropic zones, although some don't mind colder waters. 

They have very strong senses of hearing. They also breathe through blowholes, much like whales. In fact, so they don't suffocate in their sleep, dolphins only take short 15-20 minute naps. Dolphins also sleep in a way that makes them still aware of potential threats. 

Male dolphins are called bulls, while female dolphins are called cows. Appropriately enough, baby dolphins are called calves. Like all mammals, the babies are raised by their mothers. Dolphin calves can take between 9 and 17 months to be born. They are nurtured between about one to two years, and they stay with their mothers for about another one to seven years. 

Also, believe it or not, dolphins are most closely related to hippopotami. Yeah, they shared a common ancestor that branched around 40 million years ago. 

Dolphins are known to be rather intelligent. They have been known to make friends with other dolphins. They are social creatures, speaking to each other with clicks and whistles. They live in pods that can comprise of up to about a dozen individual dolphins each. They have also been known to make plans, use tools, teach and learn things, and even grieve lost friends and family. They are presumably the most like humans among all sea life in that aspect.