Go Swimming With Dolphins

While they are certainly playful and amusing creatures, there is more to dolphins than just Flipper. Dolphins are among the most intelligent animals in the world, and are found in just about every ocean around the globe. Types of them are even found in some of the major rivers, including the Amazon River in Brazil and the Ganges River in India. Yet they, like so many marine creatures, are threatened by human activity and in many ways are at our mercy for survival. As an elegant way to raise awareness and introduce the masses to the beauty and importance of the dolphin, many vacation resorts offer people the opportunity to go swimming with dolphins to encourage environmental conservation.

In comparison to the rest of oceanic life, dolphins are a relatively new species, having evolved just 10 million year ago. In a strange twist, dolphins are actually the descendants of land animals who evolved into the water, as opposed to most life forms which grew out of the water. Scientists are confident that this evolutionary path, such as dolphins have small vestigial pelvic bones and leg buds as part of their spine.

The "dolphin" is derived from the Greek word "DELPHYS," means the uterus and that was probably unusual for the fact that dolphins, whales are mammals and bear their young in the womb decided before birth. Dolphins are known for their unique social behavior and acute intelligence. There have also beenReports of dolphins display the culture and learned behavior, thinking of being a unique phenomenon for human intelligence, through the mediation of their instruments for young people searching for food and props and decorations used for mating rituals.

intelligence, combined with their characteristic cheerfulness and friendly nature makes them swim with the dolphins, for example, a particular experience. However, many species of dolphins in danger today, with many species already beyond refused to take. Toexample, a study done in 2006 was unable to locate any of the Yangtze River dolphin, making it technically extinct.

The difficult fact to realize is that humans are responsible in large part for the threat these magnificent creature are now facing. From the spilling of toxic waste and trash into the oceans to runoff containing dangerous pesticides to accidental collisions with boat propellers, many of the dolphin's main enemies are the careless byproducts of human life. Dolphins are often the accidental victims of fishermen's nets, when they are hauled in with catches of tuna. Unfortunately, dolphins are also hunted for food in many areas of the world and are killed in mass for commercial sale.

The people of the world today have the power to stop the casual and mostly unintentional destruction of these fabulous creatures, and this is why swimming with dolphins is so powerful. It is obvious from that most of the ways we hurt dolphins are unintentional and passive, making them unnecessary victims. By offering people a chance to spend personal time with these awesome animals in their natural habitats, resorts are encouraging people to get to know them and put a face on all the things that live in the sea. And once you have been kissed by a dolphin, nuzzled by a dolphin, and ferried around on the back of a dolphin, it is hard to ignore the effect we are having on them. So if you get a chance, do not miss the opportunity to go swimming with dolphins, as it is a unique experience and education. The hope is that there is still a once-in-a-life experience, but if you do not stop our treatment regardless of their environment, but unfortunately it is.

Pink Amazon River Dolphins

Considered the most intelligent of the five freshwater dolphin species in the world, these friendly and inquisitive creatures have a brain capacity 40% higher than humans. These lovely animals are usually between 6 to 10 feet long, weigh around 200 pounds, and live a little over 30 years.

Sharing the river with humans for centuries, the dolphins are respected by the locals and are actually featured in many of the different legends and myths of the villages nestled among the banks of the Amazon River. Some locals tell stories of friendly dolphins pushing people to shore after their canoes capsized, and others believe they have magical powers. One of the more interesting myths is that one of the dolphins becomes a man in the night, seduces young girls and impregnates them before returning to the river in the morning and turning back into a dolphin. Many inhabitants of the region also believe it is bad luck to kill a pink dolphin.

Despite the friendly feelings between dolphins and the people of this area, the pink dolphin is now an endangered species due to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest through pollution, mining, and increased logging. Unfortunately, they also often get entangled in fishing nets and die as a result. In recent years however, their numbers have increased and hopefully the trend will continue as laws are passed that protect this fragile ecosystem and its unique wildlife inhabitants.

Since the dolphins do not have any natural predators besides man, they are quite friendly and unafraid. They travel alone and in pairs, although they can often be seen cooperating with some 30 other dolphins, both pink and gray, to round up fish.

Taking a swim with these unique and beautiful creatures is often a highlight of a tour through the Amazon. Many cruise boats arrange for excursions to see the dolphins and often they will encourage guests to feed them fish, or jump into the water with them. These gentle creatures are known for being playful and friendly, but like any wild animal they can be aggressive in rare circumstances. Use good judgment before approaching these beautiful animals.

3 Rare Dolphins That Are on the Way to Extinction

For as long as I can remember I've always loved dolphins. Here are three endangered dolphins that need our utmost attention.

Sadly, as Hayden Pannetiere put in our collective attention late last year, thousands and thousands of the species are slaughtered for their meat or oil. The video spreading out last year wasn't pretty either. It was like watching a snuff film - where the blood of the victim was force-fed to the family. (That last scene, where the blood was dumped right back into the ocean?) As brutal as that was, it showed that, while the world may agree on a lot of things, endangering a whole species doesn't seem to be that big of an issue.

Human threats are the number one cause for the extinction of a species of dolphins. Several river dolphin species are now facing a horrible fate by being on the endangered species list. As of 2006, a survey was conducted and not one sample of the Yangtze River Dolphin could be obtained, leading protection groups to believe that the species is now extinct.

While changing now doesn't bring a whole species back, and I may be just another one of those voices protesting - the only way I could help, I guess, is by putting forth what we, as a species can look forward to help.

Irrawaddy Dolphin - While this dolphin doesn't look necessarily like the common types of dolphins we see on tv, mugs, rings, stuffed toys and pillows - it is part of the dolphin family, and is still worth Save. E 'is easily recognizable for their turn, rather than the elongated head. Its dorsal fin is shorter than average and has a triangular shape. It reaches a length of 2.3 me weighs about 280 pounds maturity. As a little 'fun trivia, while the 1970 Burmese fishermen used to call dolphins to the sides of their boats to float on the dolphin to bite around him. This attracts the fish, and if the fishermen were fishing in a network to share their catch withthe dolphin.

Australian Snubfin Dolphin - This looks a bit like the Irrwaddy Dolphin, and for good reason - the two are related. Both are river dolphins and are most commonly found around the coast of Australia. The first clue to their difference is the color - while the Irrawaddy Dolphin comes in an almost uniformly-grey-to-white belly color, the Australian Snubfin comes in a copper-ish-top-to-light-brown-sides-to-a-full-white belly. The resemblance may be one of the core Reasons for the dolphin as a new discovery of "new" - described scientifically only in 2005.

Bolivian River Dolphin - Once again, this is another new new "discovery." He acknowledged river dolphin as a separate species of dolphins, the most widely known as Amazon. The Bolivian species have a smaller size, a lighter gray color and has more teeth. Unlike most dolphins, have a flexible neck that can turn your head fromSide to side, useful for weaving between the branches of flooded forests during the rainy season.

We hope that these types of dolphins to get your attention, and you can use the word spread along the beautiful defenseless creatures.