When we think about year round residents of Hilton Head Island we sometimes forget our most famous inhabitants – the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Our quirky, friendly locals may not occupy the islands real-estate but they inhabit the beautiful waterways in and around Hilton Head Island. Sure the movie Flipper gave us a little insight into these beautiful creatures, but what else makes them so special? Below are 10 interesting facts about these amazing creatures from Bluewater Adventure cruises.
They hunt in packs! The lowcountry is one of the few places in the entire world where dolphins strand feed, a term use to describe dolphins working in packs to push their prey up onto mud flats to then capture them.
Bottlenose dolphins are family oriented; they typically live in groups of 10-12 dolphins and stick together to form gatherings of hundreds! Talk about a family reunion!
Dolphins can swim up to 35 miles per hour, way faster than our other part-time residents the loggerhead turtles which can swim up to 22 mph.
Dolphins shed their outer layer of skin every two hours! That’s faster than a (human) newborn baby’s cellular turnover.
Dolphins communicate with one another. Each dolphin has its own unique noise to distinguish them from other dolphins.
Dolphins never fully go to sleep. They rest on their sides allowing each side of their brain to repose until they are ready to play again.
Bottlenose dolphins can have over 100 teeth.
There are 38 species of dolphins with 16 of them considered endangered or close to extinction.
The Orca is actually a type of dolphin.
Dolphins can jump up to 20 feet out of the water.
Hilton Head Island has 12 miles of pristine beaches where beach-goers can view dolphins eating or swimming along the shoreline. One of the most popular ways to view these amazing creatures is by Bluewater Adventure's 2 person catamaran on one of the many creeks that surround the island. If you want to really be like a local, observe some of the true locals swimming and living in our waterways! Search availability and book a dolphin adventure with BlueWater Adventure here.
Learn more about Bluewater Adventure here: https://www.bluewateradventurehiltonhead.com/