They are marine mammals who live in our world's oceans and breathe air at the surface, similar to humans. They have lungs, inhaling and exhaling through a blowhole at the top of their heads instead of a through their nose. They are social mammals and very playful. You may have seen them playing in the water, chasing boats or frolicking with one another. Humpback whales are fond of them and you'll sometimes see them hanging out together.
Bottlenose dolphins are also choosy about who they spend time with. While they stick close to Mamma for the first three years of their lives, they like to spend time in close social groups with their friends. Males tend to choose to hang out with males resting, rubbing up against one another and being playful. Females tend to favour their female friends and their chosen quality time activity is often foraging for fish. They still move freely amongst all the members of their pod but do have favourites.
Dolphins are quite vocal, making a lot of interesting noises in the water. Dolphins engage with the world around them through sound. They squeak, squawk and use body language — leaping from the water while snapping their jaws and slapping their tails on the surface — to express themselves.
They love to blow bubbles and will swim right up to you for a kiss and cuddle. I swam with dolphins many years ago down in the Bahamas. They are pretty fast in the water, reaching speeds of up to 35 kilometres per hour. Each individual dolphin has a signature sound, a whistle that is uniquely theirs. Dolphins use this whistle to tell one of their friends and family members from another.
