Bottlenose Dolphin: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Dolphins and Otters · day 1 of 7

Five facts

1. Bottlenose dolphins can recognize a former companion's whistle after more than 20 years apart.
2. A bottlenose dolphin sends out sounds and listens to the echoes. They tell it where an object is, and its shape and size.
3. Bottlenose dolphins eat 10 to 20% of their body weight every day. Pregnant and nursing females eat the most.
4. Bottlenose dolphins usually live in groups of about 15, but gatherings can swell to over 100, and rarely past 1,000.
5. Offshore bottlenose dolphins cover up to 4,200 km in a single season.

The quiz

1. For how long can a dolphin remember a companion's whistle?

• About 2 days
• About 2 weeks
• About 2 hours
• More than 20 years (correct)

They recognize a whistle after more than 20 years apart.

2. What do echoes tell a bottlenose dolphin about an object?

• Its colour
• Where it is, its shape and size (correct)
• Its smell
• Its age

Echoes tell the dolphin where an object is, and its shape and size.

3. How much of their body mass do dolphins eat each day?

• 1 to 2%
• 50 to 60%
• 10 to 20% (correct)
• 90%

They eat 10 to 20% of their body weight every day.

4. How big is a usual dolphin group?

• About 15 (correct)
• About 5,000
• About 2
• About 500

They usually live in groups of about 15.

5. How far can offshore dolphins travel in a season?

• Up to 42 km
• Up to 420 km
• Up to 100 km
• Up to 4,200 km (correct)

They cover up to 4,200 km in a single season.

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