Why are sharks afraid of dolphins
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Reasons why Sharks are Afraid of Dolphins
#1 They are flexible and fast
Due to a dolphins’ soft skin and skeletal joint, it’s easy for them to move quickly when fighting against sharks, which makes it next to impossible for a shark to keep up.
#2 Dolphins have powerful snouts
The Dolphins’ snout is made from a very dense bone, which is also known as battering rams. Due to their vast movements, they tend to move several yards underneath sharks and hit them in their soft underbelly, which could cause serious injuries internally.
#3 Even though sharks are apex predators, they are also apex prey
It must be scary when the hunter becomes hunted. Orcas are the biggest species of dolphin and hunt great white sharks when there isn’t any other food.
#4 Dolphins don’t travel alone
Since sharks live in solitude, they fear dolphins the most, because they travel in groups. A group of dolphins are known as a pod of dolphins. They protect each other when a member gets attacked, and will even protect humans against sharks.
#5 They are extremely protective when it comes to their babies
If a shark ever thinks of attacking a baby dolphin, it will get attacked by an entire pod of dolphins.
#6 Sharks are strong, but dolphins are smart
One of a dolphins’ biggest strengths, is their intelligence, which means they can outsmart a shark easily, and even confuse him by using their echolocation.
Sharks Actually Fear Dolphins, and Here’s Why
Sharks are often viewed as one of the ocean’s top apex predators, but despite this rather prestigious classification, there’s one marine animal that most sharks prefer to avoid crossing paths with entirely: the bottlenose dolphin.
Sure, most people may view the bottlenose dolphin as a humble and gentle marine mammal, but it’s a widely known fact that these creatures can be aggressive when they want to be – especially when congregating in large numbers, often called a pod. Sharks are vaguely aware of this, as even these ocean-dwelling predators can fall victim to a pod of dolphins’ foul behavior when they’re swimming around by their lonesome.
Sharks can be easily outmaneuvered by dolphins in a one-on-one fight, particularly because of the characteristics surrounding their physical build. A dolphin’s vertically-oriented rear fin coupled with its incredible flexibility provides it with heightened mobility. Comparatively, sharks have horizontally-oriented rear fins, and aren’t nearly as flexible, which puts them at a severe disadvantage when facing a pod of dolphins.
Another advantage that the bottlenose dolphin has over the shark is its snout, which is stout enough to be used as a battering ram in the event that a pod of dolphins needs to protect itself from a shark. Dolphins can use their snout to land a well-placed hit on a shark’s belly to cause internal damage, or its gills to prevent it from breathing entirely. As you might come to expect, this can be fatal for the shark.
Many sharks are fortunate enough to get away by simply fleeing from the fight when they realize they’re in danger, but if the shark is bold enough to stand its ground, then the dolphins just might prove why they’re the dominant creatures of the sea.
Dolphins Are Intelligent
Dolphins are incredibly intelligent, giving them the upper-hand (or, in this case, the upper fin) against sharks. No matter how much brute strength an attacking shark may have, dolphins can use their intelligence to outsmart the hunter.
Several studies have concluded that dolphins are capable of recognizing themselves in mirrors, a trait that is only present in incredibly intelligent species. While a dog will view its reflection as a separate dog, intelligent species like elephants, apes, and, of course, dolphins, recognize that it is only a reflection. These playful creatures even make funny faces in underwater mirrors for their entertainment! Dolphins also demonstrate incredible emotional intelligence and have displayed emotions like grief and joy.
Sharks, on the other hand, simply aren’t as intelligent as dolphins. This can make them vulnerable to all sorts of clever dolphin tricks. If a shark chooses to hunt dolphins, it will probably end up getting bested in a battle of wits.
Dolphins Have Strength in Numbers
Sharks are solitary hunters. They don’t worry about swimming in groups, which means they don’t have to share food with anyone else. However, this puts them at a disadvantage against dolphins.
Dolphins are very social creatures, and they swim with many other dolphins in a group called a pod. Bottlenose dolphins, for example, typically travel in pods that contain between 5 and 20 dolphins. Even if a shark is larger and stronger than a single dolphin, there’s no way one shark can take on a whole pod! And while dolphins have a reputation for being gentle and friendly, they are more than capable of becoming aggressive if their lives are at stake.
Shark Deaths By Dolphins
The dolphins mostly attack in groups of dolphins called pods whenever hunting for their prey. While several members of the group help to round up the fish, the other members feed on them.
The dolphins use the same tactic while attacking a shark in most cases. Like the fish, the dolphins also round up the shark to contain it while attacking it. Since dolphins swim faster than sharks, they have no problem holding a shark in place. Some group members swim around the trapped shark, and others continue the full-fledged attack on it.
They use their tail and snout to ram on the soft underbelly portion of the sharks to knock them down or stun them effectively. The dolphins also target the gills of the shark to drown them. Some dolphins can also attack the shark fins to decapitate it. Sharks, in most cases, know the danger the dolphins pose together in their pods and try to avoid the waters where dolphins are present.
Which sharks can kill a dolphin?
- Great White Shark
- Tiger Shark
- Bull Shark
Great white shark
The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. It is notable for its size, with larger female individuals growing to 6.1 m (20 ft) in length and 1,905–2,268 kg (4,200–5,000 lb) in weight at maturity. However, most are smaller; males measure 3.4 to 4.0 m (11 to 13 ft), and females measure 4.6 to 4.9 m (15 to 16 ft) on average.
According to a 2014 study, the lifespan of great white sharks is estimated to be as long as 70 years or more, well above previous estimates, making it one of the longest lived cartilaginous fishes currently known. According to the same study, male great white sharks take 26 years to reach sexual maturity, while the females take 33 years to be ready to produce offspring. Great white sharks can swim at speeds of 25 km/hr (16 mph) for short bursts and to depths of 1,200 m (3,900 ft).
Tiger shark
The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is a species of requiem shark and the only extant member of the genus Galeocerdo. It is a large macropredator, capable of attaining a length over 5 m (16 ft 5 in). Populations are found in many tropical and temperate waters, especially around central Pacific islands. Its name derives from the dark stripes down its body, which resemble a tiger’s pattern, but fade as the shark matures.
Bull shark
The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), also known as the “Zambezi shark” (informally “zambi”) in Africa, and “Lake Nicaragua shark” in Nicaragua, is a requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. It is known for its aggressive nature, and presence in warm, shallow brackish and freshwater systems including estuaries and rivers.
Bull sharks can thrive in both salt and fresh water and can travel far up rivers. They have been known to travel up the Mississippi River as far as Alton, Illinois, about 1,100 kilometres (700 mi) from the ocean. However, few freshwater human-shark interactions have been recorded. Larger-sized bull sharks are probably responsible for the majority of near-shore shark attacks, including many bites attributed to other species.
Do dolphins beat sharks?
Dolphins are one of the ocean’s cutest marine animals. However, they have been known to kill sharks. This behaviour is quite aggressive compared to a frolicking image of dolphins. When a dolphin feels threatened by a shark, it goes into a self-defence mode which allows it to overpower a shark.
Will sharks eat dolphins?
Large sharks prey on dolphins, they particularly target very young calves and sick adult dolphins as these are the weakest and most vulnerable individuals. … Orcas will even attack and kill great white sharks just to eat their livers which are a high energy food source. A great white shark in the Gulf of Maine.
Who is faster dolphin or shark?
Dolphins also have the advantage of speed as they can swim faster than most shark species.
