Dolphin Respiratory System: Respiratory System and Its Process
Let’s learn about the dolphin respiratory system, friends! Who doesn’t like dolphins, these marine mammals are truly loved by children to adults. Dolphins are easy to train and have a friendly personality, this is because dolphins are intelligent marine mammals. That’s why dolphins are show animals.
Dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean and are included in the cetacean order, dolphins can actually live quite long up to more than 50 years, but because the ocean is now contaminated and there is illegal dolphin fishing, therefore the life span of dolphins only reaches 25 years.
Dolphins are not fish, don’t get it wrong, even though they live in water, dolphins are mammals that give birth and breastfeed their young. After their child is born, dolphins like other mammals protect their children from predators.
Dolphin Breeding
Adult dolphins at the age of ten years can reproduce sexually and fertilized female dolphins will have a baby for 10-12 months. Dolphins are good swimmers, this is supported by their slippery skin so that they can reduce water friction when they swim. Dolphins are companion animals, similar to wolves, dolphins swim together to make it easier to find food.
There are many types of dolphins that live in the ocean, from the registered data there are 40 types of dolphins and 16 types live in Indonesian waters. The Indonesian waters between the Indian and Pacific Oceans are the striped dolphin community, this type of dolphin is one that has decreased in number, therefore it is a protected animal.
There is also the Sarawak dolphin or fraser dolphin that lives in Indonesian waters, its physical form is getting bigger and more muscular than other dolphins. The fraser dolphin can grow up to 2.7 meters. and can weigh up to 210 kg. The fins on its back are smaller than other types and the underside of its body is white or pink.
The type of dolphin that we encounter the most is the bottlenose dolphin, this type is the most found and trained as a show animal. Now the government has banned the dolphin circus show that is busy traveling around to several areas. In addition to abusing dolphins, catching dolphins at sea is an illegal activity.
You can imagine, right, dolphins as reliable swimmers whose communities are in the ocean and grow healthily with their friends are forced to live in very small pools. Same as other mammals, dolphins have lungs to breathe even though their community is in the ocean. So what is the respiratory system and how is the dolphin’s respiratory system? here’s the explanation.
Dolphin Respiratory System
All living things, whether they live on land or in water, need oxygen to live. This oxygen requirement is obtained from the animal’s Respiratory System. And the Respiratory System is supported by a number of respiratory organs.
Spray hole
The dolphin’s spray hole is on the top of its head, its function is to obtain air from the surface of the water. Dolphins only raise some of their heads for a moment when they need air.
Lungs
Just like some of their friends on land such as cows, dolphins have lungs as a special tool in the Respiratory System. The size of a dolphin’s lungs is the same as that of other mammals, although dolphins can breathe for a long time in the water.
Esophagus
Dolphins have an esophagus and esophageal stalk as respiratory organs that connect air to the lungs.
Process in the Dolphin Respiratory System
Oxygen is the main point for the mechanism of organs of all living things, including dolphins, especially dolphins are mammals that have the most complex Respiratory System.
Dolphins will suck air outside the water through the nostrils or more appropriately called spray holes. This air intake process will be carried out by dolphins by coming to the surface of the water.
The inhaled air will pass through the esophagus, the base of the esophagus and reach the lungs. Dolphin lungs have bronchiole branches. The process of removing carbon dioxide from the remaining air transition is completed by releasing it through the spray holes.
Dolphin lungs contain more air cells or alveoli than humans. Unlike other mammals that have one capillary layer, dolphins have 2 capillary layers. Because they have 2 capillary layers, gas transition is more effective. “Dolphin Respiratory System”
Dolphins have thick and plastic pleura (tissue that covers the lungs), the dolphin’s bronchiole tubes are lined with muscle tissue.
Now, it has been answered why dolphins can hold their breath for quite a long time in the water, not because their lungs are getting bigger, but because of the increasing number of alveoli.
This is because the dolphin’s blood circulation mechanism has adjusted so that it has an effect on the ability to store oxygen and the effectiveness of oxygen use. Another form of adjustment is that dolphins take some oxygen from their blood and muscles.
Based on theory, when viewed from the dolphin’s respiratory system, there is no difference with land mammals, so in fact the oxygen inhaled by dolphins does not meet their needs for diving in water for a long time.
However, the adjustment process that dolphins have carried out, such as using oxygen effectively, helps meet their oxygen needs.
Please visit and contact Bali Exotic Marine Park to get conservation information and see dolphins in Bali.