DOLPHIN
			Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Chordata Mammalia Cetacea Delphinidae

Dolphins are small members of the whale family, found in seas all over the world. In both deep water and near coastlines, people have long admired the beautiful dolphin's grace and playfulness in the water. In fact, schools of dolphins will actually follow ships for days. Recent studies have revealed that dolphins are among the most intelligent of all animals with a communication system. Some scientists believe it is a form of language. There are several species of dolphin that can be distinguished from the porpoises (a relative of the dolphin), by their beaked snouts.

Like all whales, dolphins give birth to live, fully developed young, and are born tail first. Supported by their mothers, there is often times a "midwife" dolphin involved with the raising and upbringing of the young, until they are able to swim to the surface and take their first breath of air. During these first moments, the "midwives" stay close to guard the young from sharks. The young remain dependent on their mothers for up to six months after birth.

Dolphins live together in schools, of which there is no one single leader. The members observe an order of rank. If a member is injured, other dolphins will assist it, swimming along side and supporting it. They can stay submerged for up to 20 minutes. Their sense of hearing is acute, and is the chief sense used when hunting food. The dolphin's diet usually consists of fish with some shrimp and cuttlefish.

The best known dolphin is the bottlenose, which is found along the Atlantic coasts of North America and also in European waters. Up to four yards in length (4 m), the lively bottlenose dolphin has become a star performer in many oceanariums and zoos around the world. The dolphin is truly one of earth's most remarkable creatures, and are an ongoing favorite to study among zoologists, scientists, and marine biologists.