1. The Bottlenose Dolphin‘s scientific name is Tursiops Truncatus. Tursiops is taken from a combination of a reference to a dolphin-like fish, “tursio“, and the suffix “ops“, which means “to look like”. Truncatus, referencing the species’ stubby nose, means “shortened or cut-off”.

2. The Bottlenose Dolphin can reach lengths of up to 14 feet and can weigh as much as 1,100 pounds. In comparison, the average height for a human male is generally around 5 feet 10 inches.

3. Bottlenose Dolphins generally stick to the tropic and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

4. They have been known to reach speeds over 18mph (30kph) and have been observed diving as deep as 850 feet (260 meters).

5. The average gestation period for Bottlenose Dolphins is approximately 12 months. The raising of a calf is a group effort and most members of a pod (social/family group) will lend a helping flipper in teaching hunting and other survival techniques.

6. We all know that Dolphins are extremely intelligent, but did you know that the Bottlenose Dolphin’s brain can weigh up to 1600 grams? A human’s brain by comparison can weigh up to 1300 grams.

7. A large part of the Bottlenose Dolphin’s brain is tied to their highly sensitive form of echo location. They can make upwards of 1,000 clicking noises per second, which they use to reveal the location, size and shape of objects in the water or even hidden just below the sea floor.

8. One of the more iconic behaviors of the Bottlenose Dolphin is their out-of-water acrobatics. A lesser known behavior, which also brings them above the water’s surface, is called spy-hopping. While spy-hopping they will swim to the surface, exposing only their head, and visually observe what is taking place above the surface of the water.

9. Although great lengths have been taken to eliminate such acts, Bottlenose Dolphins were once widely hunted for meat and oil, which were used for oil-based lamps and cooking.

10. The single largest threat to the Bottlenose Dolphin is becoming entangled in commercial fishing gear. Whether from natural migration or hunting patterns, or from following commercial fishing boats as a way to find food, they often come into contact with fishing nets or other fishing gear that they simply cannot see. Once entangled it is almost impossible for them to free themselves and will eventually succumb to injuries or drown in the process.