Bottlenose dolphin facts – hearing
Several fascinating Bottlenose dolphin facts concern their ability to detect sounds. The Bottlenose dolphin has a keen and acute sense of hearing and can detect sounds from 1 kHz to 150 kHz. This can be compared to the average human ear which detects sounds from 0.02 kHz to 17 kHz. The sounds which the Bottlenose dolphin hears beast is in the 40 kHz-100 kHz range. If a sound is strong enough, the Bottlenose dolphin will detect it even if it is goes below 1 kHz.

Bottlenose dolphin facts – swimming
The Bottlenose dolphin facts regarding swimming have been extensively researched by dolphin experts. The Bottlenose dolphin will usually swim at a pace of approximately 3-7 miles per hour (5-11 kilometres per hour). During bursts, the speed can however increase to 18-22 miles per hour (29-35 kilometres per hour). This type of high speed is very strenuous for the Bottlenose dolphin to maintain. 

Bottlenose dolphin fact – dive depths
Bottlenose dolphin facts regarding their ability to dive and stay submerged are truly amazing; especially when you consider that the dolphin does not have any gills; it must obtain oxygen directly from the air. The Bottlenose dolphin can usually find food at comparatively shallow depths, but it is capable of diving down to at least 1,795 feet (547 metres). Such deep dives are however uncommon and the average dive is instead between 10 and 150 feet (3 and 45 metres). One dive can last up to 10 minutes.

Bottlenose dolphin facts – oxygen
The heart beat of the Bottlenose dolphin will slow down during a dive to conserve oxygen. This is an adaptation that the Bottlenose dolphin shares with the other marine mammals. The muscles of the Bottlenose dolphin are very high in myoglobin, a protein capable of binding oxygen. This characteristic makes the muscles less prone to oxygen depletion. Another interesting Bottlenose dolphin fact regarding diving is how more blood will be transported to the brain, heart and lungs during a dive, while less blood is transported to other parts of the body where low oxygen levels are not as harmful.

Bottlenose dolphin fact – breathing   
Another Bottlenose dolphin fact that makes the Bottlenose dolphin more equipped to stay submerged for longer periods of time than the average human is its high lung air exchange rate. During each respiration, the average healthy human will exchange approximately 17 percent of the lung air with each breath. The Bottlenose dolphin on the other hand, will exchange at least 80 percent of the lung air with each breath.

The average respiratory rate for a Bottlenose dolphin is 2-3 breaths each minute. It breathes through its blowhole and holds its breath while submerged by keeping the blowhole shut. A surfacing dolphin will wait until it is right below the water’s surface before it opens its blowhole and exhales. Seawater located around the blowhole will be carried up into the air and form a visible blow, which is a commonly known Bottlenose dolphin fact. When the Bottlenose dolphin reaches the surface, it will rapidly inhale and then promptly close the blowhole again. Exhaling and inhaling rarely takes more than 0.3 seconds for the Bottlenose dolphin.

Whale & Dolphin Articles:

Beluga Whale
Beluga Whale Facts
Blue Whale
Blue Whale Facts
Bottlenose Dolphin
Humpback Whale
Humpback Whale Facts
Sperm Whale
Pygme Sperm Whale