Leslie did an animal research report for school.  She decided to do it about dolphins, of course, and while reading a book about dolphins together, we discovered that there are a lot of life lessons that we can learn from studying dolphins.

So what are some of these important life lessons?

The first lesson is compassion.  Dolphins are very compassionate creatures.  Many dolphins have been observed helping the sick and injured dolphins in their pods.  Dolphins have also been seen trying to blow into a dead dolphins blowhole, trying to breathe life back into them and clearly show distress when a dolphin dies. 

Another lesson that we can learn from dolphins is empathy.  They take care of each other.  Every dolphin in a pod is protected by the others.  They seem to know when another dolphin or even a human is in danger and will rush to their rescue without hesitation, possibly putting themselves in danger, but the safety of others comes first.

Respect for elders and teamwork are also lessons you can learn from dolphins.  Dolphins work together to take care of and protect the juveniles and older dolphins in their pod.  They also work together to find food and protect one another from the dangers around them.  Dolphins show us how the things we do can be improved by working together. 

In today’s society, it seems like so many people only care for themselves with no thought to those around them.  The saying each man for themselves is alive and well.  If we lived more like the dolphins, everyone would be more willing to help out their families and friends when necessary, and no one would be in want.  Our elderly would be taken care of by the community instead of sticking them into nursing homes for other people to care for them.  The younger generations would learn to care for the older generations and and we would learn so much from our elders, about their lives and experiences, because we would be there to take the time to listen to their stories.  If we worked together to protect our elders the way the dolphins do, the world would be a much better place. 

Another lesson we can learn from them is learning how to protect the environment. Dolphins only use the resources that they need and don’t do anything to cause damage to their environment. 

This is just a short list.  There are many more lessons that can be learned from dolphins.  They are very smart and amazing creatures.

Here are a few more facts about dolphins.

• Dolphins are mammals.  They breathe air and will drown if they can’t get to the surface for more than 15 minutes.
• The gestation time for a dolphin is 17 months and a dolphin calf will nurse from it’s mom for 12 to 18 months.  Calves stay with their mothers from 3 to 8 years before living on their own.  Females will produce one offspring every two to three years once they reach maturity, around 5 to 7 years old.
• Dolphins have very few natural enemies.  Humans are their number one threat. 
• Dolphins are carnivores.  Their main diet consists of fish, crustaceans, and squid.  A fully grown dolphin eats at least 15 to 30 pounds of food a day.  They do not chew their food.  Instead they swallow their meal whole, head first in order to avoid any spines that may be present on their prey.
• Dolphins are very social creatures.  They are playful and carefree. They live in pods and frequently multiple pods will travel together. 
• Dolphins sleep with only half their brain.  This keeps them from drowning and safe from predators. 
• The orca, also known as killer whales, are a type of dolphin.  There are over 40 types of dolphins in the earth’s rivers and oceans. 
• Dolphins give themselves names.  They develop their own individual whistle and can recognize their own name as well as the names of other dolphins. 
• As well as being the most caring and one of the friendliest animals, dolphins are also believed to be the most intelligent animals after humans.

You can learn so much about and from dolphins just by studying them.  After helping Leslie research dolphins, and seeing her constant excitement about them, I have a new respect for these amazing animals!