Celebrate National Dolphin Day Every April 14

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Dolphins are fascinating animals, so it’s only right that they have their own day. And April 14 is that day: National Dolphin Day.

We’re not sure who first started the day, but lots of organizations from conservation groups to zoos and aquariums promote it.

So let’s learn more about these fun, funny & smart animals.

Some Dolphin Facts & Trivia for National Dolphin Day

Dolphins are Mammals

Yes mammals, just like us. Well ok, not exactly like us. They live in the water and look more like fish, after all.

And that might be why many people don’t know (or tend to forget) that dophins aren’t fish. Neither are whales and porpoises, which are related to dolphins. They’re called cetaceans.

Cetacea is an Order within the larger Class of Mammals. Fish belong to one of three other Classes. Depending on the kind of fish, it’s either in the Class Agnatha, Chondrichthyes or Osteichthyes.

Don’t worry if you don’t understand all this taxonomy stuff. Just know that no matter what dolphins look like, they’re much more like us than like fish.

For example, unlike fish (and exactly like us), dolphins breathe air. That means they have to come to the surface to breathe. But they don’t breathe through their mouths. They breathe through their blowholes.

Dolphins give birth to live babies like us, too. They don’t lay eggs like fish. They also nurse their babies.

And they’re warm-blooded.

 

Dolphins Live all Over The World

Most dolphins live in the oceans (34 different species). A few live in rivers (5 species).

Yes, there really are that many different kinds of dolphins. When you think of dolphins, you probably think of the Bottlenose dolphin …

 

 

or the Short-beaked Common Dolphin.

 

But some dolphins are really unique-looking. Like the Amazon River Dolphin …

 

 

Or the Commerson’s Dolphin.

 

And killer whales (orcas) are actually dolphins too.

They’re carnivores (meat eaters) and eat mostly fish and squid.

 

Dolphins Are Social

Dolphins live in groups called pods (or sometimes schools). Pods are usually made up of about a dozen dolphins. But sometimes pods combine to form superpods. Depending on how many pods join together, these superpods can have more than 1,000 animals.

Dolphins live in pods because they are very social animals. They also form bonds with their pod mates. They help each other when they’re sick or hurt. They’ll even help each other get to the surface to breathe.

 

Dolphins Are Threatened

Like many animals affected by human activities, many dolphins (and their cousins the whales) are threatened with extinction.

• They get caught in fishing gear
• Ships hit them, causing injury or death
• Melting ice is changing the seawater, making it fresher (and dolphins adapted to living in saltwater don’t survive well in freshwater).
• Toxic chemicals in the water damages their reproductive and immune systems

 

They are also hunted extensively in Japan. The annual hunt was documented in the 2009 film The Cove.

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this worthwhile unofficial holiday.

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Celebrating National Dolphin Day

If you live near a dolphin population, consider visiting to see if you can spot some. Where might this be?

In Europe it’s apparently Cardigan Bay, according to the BBC and other sources. The dolphin population here is more than 250 strong. Migratory dolphins show up in spring and early summer, too.

The East Coast of the U.S. has lots of place where you can see dolphins. This page on animaltourism.com can point you toward tour operators who can take you out on boats to see dolphins. It’s not a pretty page, but the information looks good, and it links to many of the tour operators, so you can check out their websites easily.

If you want to be sure you view dolphins responsibly (without disrupting their natural behaviors), check out the Dolphin SMART program. It encourages responsible wildlife viewing and helps you find operators that follow their guidelines.

Can’t make it out to see the dolphins? You can still learn more about them and how they live. Start with this page on Dolphins-World. Then check out the rest of the site.

And of course, you can watch dolphin videos. There’s fun, funny, and educational dolphin videos on YouTube.

Start with this one.

 

How will you be celebrating National Dolphin Day this year?

 

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