Many researchers agree that dolphins are highly social creatures and dependent on their social interaction while hunting or reproducing, or when defending themselves and their pod.
Dolphins are mammals so although they live in the sea and can hold their breath for an exceptionally long time, they do have to come up for air from time to time. It is for this reason that a dolphin’s brain will never fully disengage, as it still needs to retain enough motor control to occasionally go up to the surface and breathe.
Dolphins always sleep with one eye open.
Dolphins have some of the most elaborate acoustic abilities in the animal kingdom. They make a variety of sounds including whistles, clicks, squawks, squeaks, moans, barks, groans and yelps.
They can call out to other dolphins by mimicking the distinct whistle of the dolphin they want.
Bottlenose dolphins are one of the few species, along with apes and humans, that have the ability to recognize themselves in a mirror. This is considered “reflective” of their intelligence.
Dolphins are among the few animals that have been documented using tools.
