• Dolphins are part of the Delphinidae family, which contain various highly intelligent aquatic mammals. The name Dolphin refers to the species that have a beaklike snout and slender, streamlined body, which has developed over millions of years through evolution to enable them to swim at high speeds. You should also remember that dolphins are mammals and not fish as they breath using lungs and not gills, and they also give live birth as opposed to laying eggs.

• ...that some species of dolphin can swim at speeds up to 56 kmh
  (that's 35mph, by the way). It's no wonder they can keep up with speeding boats!

  Dolphins can be found in many parts of the world in various oceans and even in the freshwater rivers of Asia, Africa and South America. There are only five species of river dolphins and they all belong to the family Platanistidae. All river dolphins are in danger of extinction due to pollution and dams, and because of this the Whitefin or baiji dolphin Lipotes vexillier of the Chang Jiang River in China is the world's rarest cetacean. There were only an estimated 300 remaining in the early 1990's but in 1995 it was feared that there were less than 100.

  

  did you know...that dolphins have teeth? Well they do! They are used for grabbing food, not chewing it as dolphins swallow fish whole.

  
       Dolphins tend to live for about twenty years, but some have been known to live for about forty years
       When dolphins sleep, they sleep in a semi-alert state by resting one side of their brain at a time
      If need be, dolphins can hold their breath for 5-8 minutes at a time
       Dolphins can dive as deep as 200m (that's 650ft)
       A dolphin sheds its outer layer of skin every two hours
       Dolphins will help sick or injured dolphins as much as they can
       Dolphins work as a team if danger is near by
       Every dolphin has its own signature whistle to distinguish itself from its companions

They make clicking sounds that travel through the water, bouncing off of objects in their path. When this happens an echo is formed. By listening to the echoes that bounce back, dolphins can figure out the shape of the object.

• Marine debris is dangerous in many ways. Two deadly forms, free floating nets and plastics, entangle dolphins. These man-made objects hinder swimming and cause injury and death by drowning. Dolphins also eat plastics and other smaller debris. If ingested dolphins can become sick or die of starvation.
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• Dolphins in the wild who eat food given to them by humans become dependent on them for their food. These dolphins also show changes in behavior, feeding habits, mother-calf interactions, and movement patterns. Dolphins fed inappropriate food, even by well-intentioned people, can become sick and die.

Here's what YOU can do to help: Make sure trash ends up in garbage cans or recycling bins and NOT in the ocean or the sewer. Be a cautious dolphin watcher, admire them from a safe distance and do not feed them so they are able to behave normally. Educate your friends and family about dolphins. Share your dolphin smarts with those who are close to you so they can help them too! Spread the message!