Bottlenose dolphin | Hurghada Dolphins in the Red Sea Egypt

Bottlenose dolphin | Hurghada Dolphins in the Red Sea Egypt

Bottlenose dolphins are found in all oceans, not just in Hurghada in the Red Sea.

Bottlenose dolphinAppearance | Hurghada Dolphin Species

The bottlenose dolphin is the most famous dolphin in the world.

It has a massive, powerful build with a striking round forehead and a long snout that appears distinctly set off by a pronounced kink. The bottlenose dolphin is dark grey in color, lighter on the belly.

Length of bottlenose dolphins: 2 - 4 meters

Weight of the bottlenose dolphin: 150 - 650 kg.

The bottlenose dolphin can reach an age of up to 50 years.

The colder the water, the larger the bottlenose dolphin.

Bottlenose dolphinLife/Behavior | Hurghada Dolphins in the Red Sea

The bottlenose dolphin is found in all the world's oceans.

He is very intelligent and can even recognize his own reflection.

They are very playful and active; they love to surf, jump, spearfish and bow wave riding, and sometimes they also play with seaweed, coral or other sea creatures.

They have a close social bond and empathy, and they teach each other new skills.

On average, they swim 60-100km daily and dive to depths of up to 500m.

These intelligent animals often use sea sponges to reach food sources that are otherwise difficult for them to access.

While they are in the cold water, their bodies have a lot of fat and blood so that they can become fitter and dive to greater depths.

Dolphins also have very good eyesight.

They have only a weak sense of smell because the bladder hole closes completely underwater.

Communication between bottlenose dolphins occurs through pulse sounds, also known as whistles, and body language. A well-known example of dolphins using body language is their leaping out of the water, snapping their jaws, slapping their tails on the surface, and sometimes headbutting. Sounds and gestures also help them locate other dolphins within the same group, while simultaneously alerting them to potential dangers and nearby food sources. Interestingly, they lack physical vocal cords, yet they produce sounds of varying pitches through six air sacs located near their blowholes.

Dolphins breathe entirely voluntarily, as they must surface to breathe by opening their blowholes to facilitate access to air. Dolphins can store oxygen, holding more than twice the amount of oxygen that is directly proportional to their size and body weight.

Did you know that dolphins can breathe while half-asleep? While dolphins sleep, one hemisphere of their brain remains active, while the other hemisphere completely stops working.

The length of a dolphin's daily sleep cycle is approximately 8 hours, though for some it can range from minutes to hours. During their sleep cycle, dolphins remain comfortably close to the surface and may even swim slowly. Interestingly, they may close one eye while keeping the other open.

When the breeding season begins, the male's body undergoes major physiological changes. During this time, the testicles swell and increase in size, which helps them to hold a large amount of sperm.

Dolphins produce very large quantities of male sperm, and this allows them to wash away the sperm that was present in the previous partner, while at the same time leaving a large number of these sperm behind for fertilization.

When the breeding season begins, all males compete for access to the females.

This competition can last a long time and be intense enough to prevent access to other males.

Young dolphins, or the new generation, are born in shallow waters, and the female usually gives birth to only one calf. This doesn't mean twins are possible, but they are indeed rare.

Female dolphins reach full sexual maturity and can reproduce between the ages of 5 and 13, while males reach maturity between the ages of 9 and 15.

Bottlenose dolphinNutrition | Hurghada Dolphins in the Red Sea

Like all dolphin species, their diet consists of fish such as mackerel, tuna, crabs, mullet and occasionally small sharks and rays.

They usually hunt their prey in groups and have different hunting techniques; one of them uses sound pulses.

These can be so strong that when fish are hit by the sound pulses, they freeze, tremble, or even die.

They eat 8-15kg daily.