Dolphins are known as intelligent fish.Can they really hold their breath underwater? Can they drown if they do so?Dolphins are aquatic animals. This species belong to the whale species family. There are various dolphin species. Dolphins can hold their breath underwater for 8-10 minutes. Some dolphins can hold their breathe for as long as 15 minutes. Dolphins have a pair of lungs that they can breathe through. They stay underwater for catching prey but they need to return to the surface for breathing. Dolphins breathe through their blowhole.Dolphins do not breathe like other fish through gills. Dolphins breathe in oxygen from the air and then dive underwater again. Even when a dolphin is sleeping, they stay afloat near the surface of the water and breathe in the air when needed.Breathing is not considered an involuntary action for dolphins. They rather need to cautiously come up to the surface to breathe. It is a dolphin’s wish when they want to breathe. They do not keep taking in air from the water like other fish. Dolphins cannot breathe underwater.When dolphins need to catch fish they can manipulate their circulatory system and reduce the use of oxygen. It helps them stay underwater for longer. Dolphins conserve energy when they are swimming around and use it when they need to catch fish in the deep sea.They can stay out of water for long hours if we keep them wet. It is due to this ability they are used by humans in shows to jump out of the water. Dolphins even let humans ride along and perform different acts. They are friendly in nature. They shall die of heat and dehydration if we do not keep them wet.If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about how long can a chicken live without a head or how long can a fish live out of water here on Kidadl.Why do dolphins hold their breath?Dolphins can hold their breath for as long as 8-10 minutes in one period.Dolphins are aquatic animals and they can not live on land. They have lungs rather than gills like other fish. This means they have to continuously and consciously come up to the surface to breath in order to live. It is a part of their life and they cannot breathe underwater.They need to hold their breath long enough to be able to catch fish and their babies are born underwater. Their brain tells them when to go up to the surface for breathing. Dolphins do not actually go into a deep sleep, or else they can drown like us humans. It is amazing how they are different from humans.A dolphin holds its breath while sleeping. Their light bone structure helps them float close to the surface of the water. Dolphins breathe in the air whenever needed by just bringing their head out of the water. They do not slip into a deep unconscious sleep which may cause them to drown. They need to take in oxygen every now and then, so if they are not close to the top, their blowhole will fill with water. In a conscious state, only air enters their lungs and they stay healthy.This does not mean that they can live outside water and survive. Dolphins have died of being estranged and stranded on beaches due to the heat.How long can dolphins be on the surface of the water?Dolphins can hold their breath for only up to 10 minutes on average. They have to remain close to the surface of the water to stay alive.Dolphins remain close to the surface of the water for most of the time. They go down only for a short while and they go diving to catch prey. Dolphins remain just below the surface of the water when they are asleep as they have to breathe in oxygen from the air to stay alive. Their head comes up and they take in air from the blowhole. There is a layer of muscles under the blowhole that shuts when it is in water so that only oxygen enters the lungs and not water.Dolphins are very friendly in nature. These are mammals but belong to the whale family, which co-exist with humans easily. They are very loving and caring in nature. Their whole body can stay out of the water for a few minutes.How does a dolphin breathe?Bottlenose dolphins are known to hold their breath for around 10 minutes on average.Bottlenose dolphins need oxygen from the air like all other mammals. It helps the body and brain to function properly. They are aquatic animals so live underwater, but for breathing they need to surface. They breathe from the blowhole. Dolphins have lungs rather than gills to breathe underwater.The size of the lungs of a dolphin is in the same proportion of the body as other mammals. The blood flow to the skin and to the other body organs can be reduced by the lungs. It helps the bottlenose dolphin to conserve energy and to stay underwater for longer. At the same time, their muscles are able to work so they swim fast.When humans try to swim with dolphins they feel pressure as they are breathing compressed air underwater, while the dolphin is simply just holding its breath. They have a special feature in their brain for this that is not present in the other mammals.It is very interesting to know that dolphins survive out of water for long hours. Dolphins can breathe easily through their lungs, but they die of heat. Their skin gets dehydrated and this can become fatal. Dolphins do not have sweat glands like any other whales. Dolphins can not bear the overheating due to the sun.Why do dolphins hold their breath while sleeping?A bottlenose dolphin can hold its breath for 8-10 minutes. A few may be able to hold it for 15 minutes.Dolphins are a part of the whale family and they have buoyant body structures. The blood in the skin keeps them warm. It is not possible for a dolphin to drown unless it is a dolphin’s wish. They stay close to water boundaries so that they can breathe in the air. They take a deep breath before diving into the sea for a long period of time. Otherwise, they can breathe in through a blowhole and stay like that for hours even when they sleep. Their system is not like the human system. The head is not heavy enough to make them drown like most mammals.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how long can a dolphin hold its breath then why not take a look at how long can a mouse live without food or Indus river dolphin facts.
Dolphins are known as intelligent fish.
