OLogy Cards > common dolphin

Talking Underwater
Like bats, dolphins rely mainly on echolocation to navigate and find prey. Echolocation is the ability to use the echoes of sound waves to locate distant objects. Dolphins emit a series of clicks from their nasal cavities, just below their blowholes. These clicks are sent out through the melon, a fatty structure in the dolphin's forehead. The melon helps focus the sound waves into a beam, directing them forward. The sound waves bounce off objects in the ocean, such as fish, obstacles, and other dolphins. The returning echoes travel through a fat-filled cavity in the dolphin's lower jaw to the inner ear. Using echolocation, a dolphin can tell the size, distance, speed, and even the shape of distant objects. This ability is particularly helpful at night or in murky waters.