Dolphins Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dolphins - Research Paper Example Generally, male dolphins are bigger than the females. Dolphins live worldwide in almost all major seas (mostly shallow seas of the continental shelves) and oceans, and some large river systems. Nevertheless, their circulation is not random – each species of dolphin has become specialized to thrive in a specific  niche, and each species of dolphin has a special role in the niche (Earthtrust.org, 1-4, & Defenders.org, 1). All dolphins are  carnivores and while some feed exclusively on cephalopods  or  fish, the diet of others is more varied and it includes lobsters, fish, crabs, squid, and shrimps.  Even though dolphins are said to possess pretty good eyesight, their murky/dark environment usually reduce their visibility. They therefore largely rely on their hearing sense to comprehend the world around them and to look for prey (Earthtrust.org, 12). They have a large brain (almost the humans’ size) that possesses a remarkable capability of learning and mimicking behaviors (Earthtrust.org, 9). Defenders.org records the fact that dolphins famous for their dexterity and mischievous character, which makes them wildlife watchers to love them. They can be seen leaping out of water, spy-hop/rise out of the water vertically to see their surroundings and trail ships, mostly synchronize their progress with each other. Dolphins are believed to preserve energy through bow-riding (swimming beside ships). Naturally, dolphins are very social animals and they mostly rely on social interaction during reproduction, defense and while hunting. They hunt for prey using echolocation and by surrounding a school of fish, swimming through the school and catching their prey in turns. They have a tendency of forming long-lasting groups, which vary in size from a small number of animals (2-40) known as  pods, to bigger groups called   herds or   schools  comprising of hundreds of dolphins. These groups may comprise several