Dolphins are small-toothed cetaceans easily recognizable by their curved
mouths, which give them a permanent “smile ” There are 36 dolphin species,
found in every ocean. Dolphins are very social creatures and live together in
pods. Pod life provides individuals with the companionship which is so important
to them. The pod members look after one another and cooperate to catch food,
raise their young and defend each other from predators. Dolphins in Danger
It's hard to believe when you watch these powerful creatures swim, but many are
becoming or already are endangered. Most of the threats to dolphins come from
people when we fish, pollute, and make changes to their environment. Dolphins
are marine mammals, so they need to come up to the surface to breathe. We
now know they are incredibly smart. Different dolphins live all over the world,
including the biggest dolphin - the killer whale!
Threats from Fishing
Fishing is a huge business because people like eating tuna fish, crabs, and other
seafood. When dolphins are swimming nearby, they can get tangled in fishing
nets and can't come up for air. When dolphins get hurt or die in fishing nets
meant for other fish, they are called bycatch. The World Wildlife Foundation says
that more than 300,000 dolphins, porpoises, and whales die this way every year.
Fishing also affects dolphins when we catch too much of the fish that they eat.
Threats from Pollution
When we spill trash, oil, or chemicals into the ocean, by accident or on purpose,
we are polluting it. Chemicals containing toxins or poisons can kill smaller fish
that dolphins need for food. The toxins can also affect the dolphins' health when
they breathe them in and affect their ability to have healthy babies. When
garbage is in the ocean, dolphins can get tangled up in or swallow the trash and
die.
There is another kind of pollution called noise pollution that also harms dolphins.
When people use big ships or try to find oil in the ocean, they are polluting the
environment with noise. Dolphins use echolocation, which means they send out a
sound and wait for it to echo back. This helps them find nearby things in the
water.
Dolphins also make sounds to communicate with each other. Imagine talking to
a friend in a quiet room. Then picture yourself playing a song on your cell phone
really loud. You may not be able to hear what your friend is saying anymore.
Noise pollution may make it hard for dolphins to find where they are and to talk
to one another.
Cetaceans-itsimonlar
Recognizable-taniqli
Curved–egilgan
Pod–guruh(sea)
Cooperate–yordam bermoq
Predator–yirtqich