17 Jul Everything You Need To Know About Dolphins
Everything You Need To Know About Dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins live along the East Coast and prefer the coastal waters between 50 and 90 degrees. This species of dolphin is the most common to the Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet areas. Understanding these creatures can make for a better Myrtle Beach dolphin cruise experience. While the Blue Wave Adventures team has more than two decades of marine life experience, it’s impossible to cover every detail of a dolphin’s habits and life in one 90-minute tour.
Dolphin’s Size and Body
The average Bottlenose dolphin can grow up to 12 feet long and weigh more than 1,000 pounds. Despite their relatively large size, the dolphin’s sleek body can swim at nearly 20 mph. The gray color helps shield the Bottlenose dolphin from predators, allowing the mammals to hide in the shadows of the ocean. Because dolphins are mammals, unlike other fish in the sea, they use lungs to breathe. They must come to the water’s surface two to three times a minute to gather more air. Dolphins can breech up to 16 feet out of the water, which makes for the perfect photo on your Myrtle Beach dolphin cruise.
Social Butterflies Of The Sea
Bottlenose dolphins prefer to swim in groups, called pods, of 10-25. They have an intricate language of squeals and squeaks used to communicate with one another and track prey. The ability for dolphins to communicate is so profound that there are documented cases where an injured dolphin sent out a distress call and a pod responded to help lift the injured dolphin to the surface for air.
When hunting food, mostly bottom-dwelling fish, shrimp and squid, dolphins can make up to 1,000 clicking noises per second. The sounds travel underwater until they hit an object and bounce back to the dolphin. The dolphin then has the ability to determine the target’s location, size and shape. Their social nature means dolphins mostly hunt in groups, making the process more effective.
Threats To Dolphins
Sadly, humans are the largest threat to dolphins. While dolphin hunting has slowed in recent years, entanglement in fishing gear and nets is a large concern. Dolphins often hunt the same fish as commercial fishers, increasing their risks for being intertwined or bound by fishing nets.
Dolphins often get tangled in ropes or other fishing wires that restrict them from reaching the water’s surface to get air. Human pollution is another major concern for dolphin’s existence. Ocean pollution makes it increasingly more difficult for dolphins to find food and can even cause diseases in sea creatures. There are simple steps we can all take to protect Murrells Inlet dolphins.
Are Dolphins Endangered?
Some species of dolphins are endangered and now extinct. The endangered dolphins include the Maui dolphin and the Ganges River dolphin, among others. The Yangtze River dolphin or baiji of China was the first dolphin that humans drove to extinction, according to scientists. The rare mammal had been on the endangered species list for some time, but it was determined in 2007 that the species no longer existed because of human impact. Its river habitat was ruined by the construction of dams and the invasion of boat traffic.
While it’s entirely possible for humans and dolphins to co-exist, it’s going to take a more conscious effort on our part to keep the ocean’s clean and use responsible fishing practices. The Blue Wave Adventures team offers Myrtle Beach dolphin cruises that introduce you to these beautiful animals while still keeping a safe distance and allowing them to remain in the wild. Join the Blue Wave Adventures team for a Myrtle Beach dolphin cruise to learn more about these fascinating animals.