Bottlenose Dolphin
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Bottlenose Dolphin Behaviour

Bottlenose Dolphin behavior: breathing

The Bottlenose Dolphin depends on oxygen from the air, and must therefore regularly reach the surface to breath through the blowhole. This Bottlenose dolphin behavior makes it at risk of drowning, e.g. when getting entangled in fishing nets or when too ill to swim up to the surface. Bottlenose Dolphins have been seen pushing their diseased or injured friends up to the surface to allow them to breath. This is probably why Bottlenose Dolphins sometimes rescue shipwrecked humans by pushing them up to the surface. A Bottlenose Dolphin needs to surface every 5-8 minute, but it prefers to breath even more frequently, ideally several times per minute. It is therefore impossible for it to sleep for any longer period of time and some research indicates that it might never sleep with both halves of its brain simultaneously. Another possible solution is to have really short periods of micro-sleep. 

Bottlenose Dolphin behavior: swimming

The Bottlenose Dolphin can swim as fast as 35 km/h (21 mph) during shorter spurts. The normal swimming speed is however a leisurely 5-10 km/h (3-6 mph). 

Bottlenose Dolphin behavior: social interaction

Most Bottlenose Dolphins live in groups consisting of up to a dozen individuals. These pods are tightly knit and marine biologists have noticed how a rich assortment of complex social Bottlenose Dolphin behavior is carried out between the members of a pod. It is common for several females to form a pod together and keep their young calves with them. Juveniles will leave the pod of their mothers when they are old enough and form their own mixed juvenile pods. Sometimes several Bottlenose Dolphin pods will live together in groups comprising over hundred dolphins. Adult males tend to live alone or form small pods consisting of no more than 2-3 individuals. They can join other pods for brief periods of time.  

Bottlenose Dolphin behavior: fighting

Male Bottlenose Dolphins will fight each other to establish rank and access to sexually mature females. A well known Bottlenose Dolphin behavior in relation to this is the so called “head butting fights”. Bottlenose Dolphins of both sexes also need to be able to fight to protect themselves and their offspring from falling prey to Tiger sharks, Dusky sharks, Bull sharks, certain Orcas and a few other large and hungry marine species. (Some Orcas are however very friendly towards Bottlenose Dolphins and can be seen swimming with them.)