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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.
OLOGY CARD 206
Series: Animal
common dolphin
With their white bellies and dark backs, dolphins can be found jumping above the water, swimming alongside fishing ships, or riding the waves of large whales. Dolphins are playful, intelligent, and very fast swimmers. They often work together to herd fish into tight balls, making them easy prey. They whistle, click, and squeak to communicate with each other, and to navigate through the ocean.
Image credits: main image, NOAA.