What do dolphins eat?

Way of life of the dolphins

• The subordinate whales include the toothed whale, to which the dolphins belong. With a total of 40 species, they form a very large family. Most are 120 to 400 cm tall, depending on the species. Only the killer whales are a lot bigger, because they can be up to 800 cm long.

• They communicate with each other by means of sounds. The clicks and whistles also serve as orientation and help you to locate your prey.

• They keep their sleep by always keeping one eye open to see potential attackers. One half of the brain is also kept awake.

• Because dolphins are social marine mammals, they live in groups. Some of these are large family associations. However, this does not mean that the coexistence within these groups is always peaceful. Bottlenose dolphins in particular show strong dominance behavior. Rival fights take place frequently and injuries are not uncommon.

What the marine mammals eat

• Dolphins and other toothed whales use echolocation to find their prey. Sound waves are released in the process. These are thrown back by the prey and then evaluated by the marine mammals. This is how attacks are most successful. The capture of prey is strategic. They hunt in groups and circle the fish.


What do whales eat?

In the vastness of the oceans live the gentle giants - the whales. As a medium-sized ...

• What exactly the dolphins eat depends on their species. Squids, octopuses, and fish such as herring and salmon are the main prey. However, some also catch crustaceans. Killer whales, on the other hand, like to eat marine mammals such as sea otters, small whales and seals that can be found on the coast.