dolphins
Indeed, people have come to admire these savvy athletes of the sea so much that dolphins have become the object of a billion-dollar entertainment industry. [1]
The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacea, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. [2]
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. [3]
In fact, we know very little about the lives of dolphins in the ocean. [4]
All dolphins are toothed whales belonging to the sub-order, odontocetes, of the order cetacea (see section on humpback whales for more information). [5]
Dolphins Plus is committed to the conservation and protection of marine mammals worldwide through education, research, experiential learning, and environmental awareness. [6]
Orcas and some closely related species belong to the Delphinidae family and therefore qualify as dolphins, even though they are called whales in common language. [2]
Most species of dolphins are larger than porpoises, with the males usually being larger than the females. [5]
They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. [2]
But gaining insight into the lives of wild dolphins, which often live hundreds or thousands of miles from shore, has been difficult. [...] They are highly social animals that often live in groups and take great pains in caring for their young. [1]
They have also been trained by militaries for tasks such as locating sea mines or detecting and marking enemy divers. [3]
In addition, although the terms dolphins and porpoises are often used interchangeably, they really refer to two different types of animals. [5]
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. [2]
Some interactions with humans are harmful to the dolphins: people hunt bottlenose dolphins for food, and dolphins are killed inadvertently as a bycatch of tuna fishing. [3]
Sources:
[1] Dolphins: Close Encounters - Introduction | Nature
[2] Dolphin - Wikipedia
[3] Bottlenose Dolphin - Wikipedia
[4] All About Dolphins: Index of Questions
[5] DOLPHINS
[6] Dolphins Plus