| The Top Ten Things You Probably Never Knew About Dolphins: | |
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| 10. | Dolphins, like humans and chimpanzees, seem to have sex for pleasure and to build social bonds. |
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| 9. | Killer whales are the largest dolphins, pilot whales are the second largest. |
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| 8. | Bottlenose dolphins are thought to be the most aggressive and have been known to kill for reasons other than hunger. “Flipper” of TV fame was a bottlenose dolphin. |
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| 7. | Spinner dolphins, while they look like they are leaping for joy, could actually be leaping to keep a better look out for predators or prey or even signaling to others. |
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| 6. | Dolphins often form gangs called “alliances,” which can last for dozens of years. Two dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia, “Bottom Hook” and “Pointer,” are nearly inseparable and join forces in “Dolphins: The Wild Side” to kidnap and keep a female captive for weeks. |
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| 5. | Super alliances that are nearly invincible have formed in Shark Bay. Scientist Dr. Richard Connor calls them the “wow crowd.” |
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| 4. | Dolphin calves learn specialized hunting techniques from their parents and pod. |
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| 3. | The ocean is dangerous for dolphins. In some areas, 50 percent may die within their first year. Calves stick with their mothers for some three to six years, learning through imitation of her poses, postures and actions. |
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| 2. | Dolphin calves must learn how to “speak,” just like human babies. Shortly after birth, infants can only whistle. Later they develop the clicking skills necessary for echolocation, or sonar. |
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| 1. | A killer whale’s hearing is so acute it can hear the beating heart of its prey, a sound that can lead the predator to its next victim. |
