Dolphins have been a part of nautical lore since there have been sailors around to tell stories about them. Dolphins are highly sociable, with a wide range of vocalizations in their vocabulary leading many experts to believe they have a language of their own.

Dolphins start life with body hair. Newborn calves have hair on their chin and around the mouth that falls out soon after birth. 

Along with gestating their young, dolphins produce milk to nourish them. It may seem tricky for calves to nurse underwater, but dolphins have adapted some unique physiological traits to work around this issue.

Dolphins are considered one of the world's most intelligent animals, and they have several cognitive abilities that set them apart from most other mammals. Many scientists can see the dolphin's intelligence as a combination of perception, communication, and problem-solving, ranking them higher than even the great apes.

There are more than one species of dolphin:

The Amazon River Dolphin

You may not expect to find a dolphin in freshwater areas, but this species thrives in the Amazon River. It's also called the boto or bufeo dolphin, and its skin turns pink as it matures.

The Ganges River Dolphin

This creature is another entry to the list of freshwater dolphins. This species has a unique habit of swimming sideways in the Ganges River in India, allowing it to sidle up to food.

Commerson's Dolphin

This unique, highly social dolphin species is found off the coast of Argentina and in parts of the Indian Ocean. It's best known for its panda-like black and white color pattern.

Risso's Dolphin

Risso's dolphins love deeper waters, where they seek out a diet of squid and other deepwater fish species. However, their favorite prey fights back, and older members of this species may have a mottled pattern of battle scars from squid attacks.

The Bottlenose Dolphin

I saved the bottlenose dolphin last for two reasons. For one, it's one of the most popular species. Flipper, the world's most famous dolphin, was a bottlenose dolphin.  

The other reason is they hold a special place in our hearts since almost all dolphins in our area are Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. 

So book a cruise today, and let's go out and see some dolphins.

Don't forget to sign up  for our Christmas Lights Cruise. Your private group or company will have a festive time viewing the animated Christmas lights along the Riverwalk in Bradenton from the River Skipper II. Reserve your seats early before the good ones are all taken. And as always, you can bring along anything you like to eat and drink to make your experience truly unique.