The Life Cycle of Bottlenose Dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins are the dolphins most commonly seen and known by humans. They belong to the Cetacea order, which includes whales. Dolphins, or the family Delphinidae, have a beak and conical teeth. Their skin is sloughed off and replaced every two hours to keep it smooth and streamlined for optimum motion through the water. Dolphins can swim as fast as 25 mph.

  1. Birth

    • As mammals, dolphins give birth to live young and suckle them. The calf is born tail-first and is a strong swimmer as soon as it is born. The mother immediately guides her baby to the surface so it can breathe in air. Mother dolphins nurse their calves for one and a half to two years.

    Childhood

    • Once the young dolphin is weaned, it stays with its mother for three to eight more years, during which she takes care of it and protects it. Baby dolphins can eat seafood from the time they are around 6 months old; their diet consists of crustaceans and fish.

    Puberty

    • Once the dolphin reaches puberty, somewhere between 3 and 8 years of age, it finds a mate. Mating takes place in spring or autumn and the gestation period is 12 months. Dolphins live for about 30 years, and the average female produces a calf every one and a half years. Dolphins are severely threatened by humans, and their numbers all around the world are dwindling.

    Family Life

    • Bottlenose dolphins are social creatures that live in groups or "pods" of up to 40 members, or in even larger schools or herds. The pods often contain distinct subgroups, including the nuclear group of one male and one female, the nursery group of young dolphins, and a bachelor group of young males. Dolphins have learned the advantages of hunting together in a pack, usually attacking large schools of fish. They communicate my making a series of clicks, and are said to be almost as intelligent as humans.