A lot of people consider dolphins to be one amongst the fish - as they swim in the water. But in reality unlike fish who lay eggs, dolphins are warm-blooded mammals that give birth to baby dolphins and breathe air. There are many more unique characteristics that make dolphins an interesting creature on the earth.

If you happen to experience dolphins from close ranges, then you will be aware of their unique characteristics for which they are famous. Dolphins are cetaceans like the whales and are placed along with whales in the group called odontocetes, since they have teeth. However, some Whales do not have teeth for feeding and are placed under the group mysticetes.

Dolphins live in tropical and warm waters. Many people are unaware of the fact that rivers and freshwaters are also home to few species of dolphins. These dolphins are however endangered and exist in very few numbers.

Fifty-seven different species of dolphin make up the world's population today. Dolphins have sleek bodies and their noses, called "rostrum", are long and beak-like. Many of us think that dolphins and porpoises are related, when in fact they are not. One thing that makes them different is their teeth. As mentioned the dolphin's are cone shaped and the porpoise have teeth that look more like spades. This enables them to dig for food among rock. The other major difference is the fact that porpoise are able to live in water that's colder than a dolphin can even tolerate.

Orcas are the most easily identified and best known dolphin. They are more commonly known as killer whales. People tend to think of the Orca as among the most violent and frightening sea animals. This is probably due to the fact that they are large and seem fearless in the water.

Dolphins have a long gestation period when it comes to the birth cycle of their young. The female dolphin will be pregnant for twelve months after which time she will give birth to one baby dolphin, called a "calf". Most baby calves will weight about 30 to 40 pounds and will be approximately 30 inches long. The mother dolphin will nurse her calf for the first two years of its life.

Even after they're weaned, the dolphin calf will swim and play with its mother for between five and seven years. During this time the young dolphin will learn how to find food and to interact socially with its relatives.

Dolphins live and travel together in what is called a "pod". It is the female dolphins that are the ones that do most of the interacting with the young dolphins, while the males play a more aloof part in the parenting process.

The dolphin continues to be one of the most fascinating animals in the world. This has a large part to do with its intelligence and incredible curiosity. These animals love to interact with man whenever they can, chirping in their native dolphin tongue about events in the water that we'll never understand.