. dolphins are cool. this is what they look like. dolphins are smart. this is what they look like they are so pretty, they are blue. they swim in the water. they are friendly there are around 40 species of dolphin. they sleep with only half there brain. Although marine scientists have studied and recorded dolphin vocalizations for decades, many aspects of the animals’ language and how they communicate are still unknown. Scientists have not yet broken down the individual units of dolphin sounds, and they're still searching for a Rosetta Stone that links the animals' vocalizations to their behavior. By using new technologies—including algorithms and high-frequency recorders that work underwater—scientists hope to finally unlock the mystery of the dolphin language Dolphins have teeth, but they don't use their chompers to chew food. Instead, dolphins use their teeth to catch prey (fish, crustaceans, and squid) and swallow it whole. Since they forgo chewing, digestion occurs in their stomach—or, more precisely, in part of their stomach. Dolphins have multiple stomach chambers, one of which is devoted to digestion, while the other chambers store food before it's digested Since dolphins can't breathe underwater, they need to swim up to the ocean's surface to get air. So how do they sleep without drowning? Essentially, dolphins are champion power nappers. Rather than sleep for several hours at a time, they rest one hemisphere of their brain for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, and they take these "naps" several times each day. By resting one hemisphere of their brain at a time, dolphins can continue swimming, breathing, and watching for predators 24/7. Dolphins communicate via the use of several sounds, including clicks, whistles and squeaks. Studies have also shown that individual dolphins have a unique “signature whistle” which they often use when communicating with others. It is also believed that dolphins will respond to the sound of it’s own signature whistle, much in the way we would respond when hearing our own name. Dolphins are extraordinarily intelligent animals who also display culture, something which was long-believed to be unique to humans (although now recognised in various species). Dolphins have been observed teaching young how to use tools. They cover their snouts with sponges to protect them while foraging. Dolphins have several highly developed forms of communication. They have a “signature whistle” which allows other individuals to recognise them. Dolphins are altruistic animals. They are known to stay and help injured individuals, even helping them to the surface to breath. Their compassion also extends across the species-barrier. There are many accounts of dolphins helping humans and even whales. Dolphins are incredibly social animals. They live in groups and cooperate with each other to get food and in raising offspring (calves). Love551 Share Dolphins are extremely playful and curious animals. They play-fight with each other and also play with seaweed. They have also been known to play with other animals such as dogs. Dolphins sleep by resting one side of the brain at a time. This allows them to continue rising to the surface for air and to keep an eye open to watch out for predators. Dolphins use echolocation to find food and navigate. This is a natural version of radar. The “killer whale”, or Orca, is actually a dolphin. It is known as a “killer whale” because it is a whale killer, not because it is a whale that kills. Dolphins can jump as high as 20 feet out of the water!The vaquita, a species of porpoise, which in Spanish means little cow, is only found in a small area of the northern Gulf of California in Mexico. The species is in dire trouble and the population is estimated to be around 100 individuals. The Maui's dolphin (a sub-species of the world’s smallest dolphin - the Hectors dolphin) are found off the North Island of New Zealand and have a population currently numbering approximately 111 individuals. River dolphins are amongst the most endangered dolphins as the places they live in are often threatened by human development. The baiji or Yangtze River dolphin, once found in the Yangtze River in China, is unfortunately now classified as extinct.The biggest difference is size, with all species of porpoise being that much smaller than their dolphin cousins. Porpoises don't have the pronounced beak that most, but not all dolphins have and they also have a different teeth shape. Porpoise teeth are spade-shaped whilst dolphins are conical. A dolphin has a hooked or curved dorsal fin (except for those species that don't have a dorsal fin) whereas a porpoise has a more triangular dorsal fin, and generally speaking, dolphin bodies are leaner, whilst porpoises’ are a little more chunky. Dolphins are also more "talkative" than porpoises. The whistles made by dolphins are produced through their blowholes and whilst porpoises do not do this, possibly due to structural differences in the porpoise’s blowhole, they can still be pretty noisy as they "puff" the air out when they surface. Dolphins and porpoises also have many similarities, one of which is their extreme intelligence. As research evolves, it is likely that more (or perhaps fewer) differences between dolphins and porpoises will be revealed. .