There are several dozen species of dolphins swimming in just about all of the earth’s oceans—and some of its rivers, too.
Dolphins are closely related to whales and porpoises, and all of them are carnivores, pursuing such aquatic prey as fish and squid. The killer whale, which is actually the largest member of the dolphin family, will also attack other sea mammals such as whales and seals.
Dolphins range in size from the four-foot-long (1.2 meter) Maui’s dolphin to the killer whale, which grows to 30 feet and can weigh as much as 10 tons. The bottlenose dolphin grows to a length of between 2 and 4 meters (7 to 13 feet).
Most marine dolphins live in groups of several dozen individuals who travel and search for food together. Mothers typically produce and care for a single dolphin calf at a time.
Dolphins are renowned by humans for being one of the most intelligent groups of non-human animals.