Some scientists believe that dolphins are able to enjoy the benefits of sleep even while they're in the water by having one half of their brains alert and the other shut down. Behavioral Adaptations: Dolphin Groups: Dolphins commonly swim in groups of 2 to 15 individuals. Other groups can join for several minutes or hours to form larger groups, during that time dolphins can change associates. Some regional adaptations are ingenious. Other Dolphin Adaptations. Among the adaptations of dolphins are hydrodynamic bodies, blowholes on top of their heads, flippers and flukes and echolocation. As air-breathing animals, dolphins face -- and overcome -- challenges that fish and other water-breathing competitors need not address. Different species evolved to fill different ecological niches , so they don't need to make the same behavioural adaptations, but their process must be similar. Physical Adaptations The most important dolphin adaptation is the blowhole located on the top of the body. They start echolocating by making clicking noises. Echolocation is an adaptation that helps dolphins, including the bottlenose, more easily track down prey. While several mammals make a good living in the ocean, dolphins possess several adaptations that make them among the world’s most successful sea-going mammals.

Some behavioral adaptations of dolphins are pod formation, communication, and family structures. Dolphins and other whales are mammals, but with their hairless bodies and torpedo-like shape they’ve got more in common with fish.

When these clicking noises reach an object or animal, they promptly bounce back to the dolphins. All 40 recognized dolphin species have captured the human imagination for their playful disposition, advanced intelligence, and keen hunting senses.