![young dolphin young dolphin](https://www.hawaii-aloha.com/app/uploads/2015/07/dolphin.jpg)
Each time a dolphin calf takes a breath, they fill about 80% to 90% of their lungs. Instead, they take oxygen in from blowholes, which are on the tops of their heads. Dolphin calves can hold their breath underwater for up to 15 minutes since they can conserve the air in their lungs and only need to use a little at a time to keep oxygen flowing to their brains.īaby dolphins also don’t breathe out of their mouths like other mammals. This ensures that they don’t drown before they can surface for their first breath of air. Instead, they must come to the surface to get air.īecause of this, baby dolphins are born tail-first. You will probably be surprised to learn that dolphin calves are mammals! That means baby dolphins and their parents lack gills, which makes it impossible for them to breathe underwater. #4: Baby Dolphins Can’t Breathe Underwater Dolphin calves must come to the surface for oxygen.īaby dolphins are marine animals, so you might assume that they can breathe underwater like other fish. After a few days, these hairs naturally shed since dolphin calves no longer need them. The tiny hairs are short and grow around the baby’s snout. Since baby dolphins are born with less-than-perfect eyesight, they need a different way to locate their mothers during their first few days on the earth.
![young dolphin young dolphin](https://dnl7t01l0fo05.cloudfront.net/fr/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/aicko-dauphin-planete-sauvage-4.jpg)
This incident just goes to show how incredibly intelligent baby dolphins are! #3: Dolphins are Born with Mustaches Dolphin calves are born with tiny hairs around their snouts.ĭid you know baby dolphins are born with a mustache? It’s true, but the more astonishing thing about this mustache is what it does for the tiny sea animals.
![young dolphin young dolphin](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/22926785/20180426/023407/styles/T800x600/public/processed_images/dolphin_courtesy-1524766421-4825.jpg)
Instead, she made the connection that spitting out the milk underwater would look similar to smoke in the air. She then spat the milk out in the water, creating a smoke-like cloud around her!ĭolly’s trainer stated that he didn’t work with her to do this trick at all. This tiny dolphin saw her trainer blow a cloud of smoke, so it swam back to its mother, got a mouthful of breastmilk, and swam back.
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It is about as thick as a milkshake, which makes it less difficult for baby dolphins to get their nutrition while swimming under the sea! #2: One Dolphin Calf Blew Underwater Milk Rings to Imitate its Trainer A dolphin calf and its mother come up for air.īaby dolphins are smart cookies! One six-month-old baby dolphin named Dolly learned how to copy its trainers smoke rings underwater.
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This makes it possible for a full feeding to take just a few seconds.Īnother thing that makes it easier for baby dolphins to drink milk underwater is the consistency of the breastmilk. Once a dolphin calf is latched onto its mother’s nipple, the female dolphin shoots milk directly into the baby dolphin’s mouth. Dolphin calves don’t control how much they eat. Dolphin calves roll their tongues up like a straw when it’s time to drink their mother’s milk. The answer is astounding: they use their tongues as a straw. Since breastmilk is a liquid, you might be wondering just how baby dolphins can drink their mother’s milk while remaining in the water. Pretty impossible, right? Baby dolphins are faced with a unique roadblock when it comes to nursing from their mothers: they’re underwater. Imagine trying to take a swig of juice while you’re underwater. You’ve probably heard about how highly intelligent they are, but did you know they use their tongues as straws or that they’re born with mustaches? Let’s dive into five amazing dolphin facts and look at some adorable dolphin calf pictures! #1: Baby Dolphins Use Their Tongues as Straws Newborn dolphins use their tongues as straws while nursing. Baby dolphin calves are some of the most adorable sea mammals in the world.