Dolphin

Known for their playfulness and intelligence, dolphins live a very interesting life. But how long do dolphins live on average, and what types of dolphins live the longest? Their lifespan varies depending on age and species, but they enjoy life to the fullest. 

In this article, we will discuss some of the longest living dolphins and what their lifespan looks like. We will also talk about the average dolphin life cycle, from birth to old age. Finally, we will discuss some of the oldest living dolphins known to us today. Let’s get started! 

How Long Do Dolphins Live?

Dolphins live an average of 10-20 years in the wild, though they are thought to live much longer in captivity. The average lifespan of a dolphin also depends greatly on the species. For example, bottlenose dolphins live closer to 15 years in the wild on average, while orcas live closer to ten. 

Wild dolphins have very complex lives. They travel nearly 100 miles per day in their pod, and these pods are made up of dozens of dolphins. They travel in larger groups to protect themselves from predators and other enemies, such as sharks. 

For the most part however, dolphins are at the top of their food chain in the ocean. They consume fish daily, and communicate with one another using a variety of clicks and whistles, along with echolocation. Dolphins are known for being extremely intelligent, especially in regards to their social communication and understanding. 

The Average Dolphin Life Cycle

You may be surprised to learn about what life is like for a dolphin as a young calf, and even how things progress for them as they age. Whether they are in the wild or born in captivity, dolphins have a very similar life cycle. Let’s dive in.

Newborn, or Calf 

It takes a mother dolphin 12 months before her calf will be born. Dolphins know how to swim immediately after being born, as they are born in the water and live in the water full time. A baby dolphin or calf will need to feed extensively during its first week of life, often needing its mother’s milk two to four times an hour. 

Young dolphins are taught to swim behind their mother so that they can take advantage of slipstreams in the water. This helps them learn how to become strong swimmers without slowing the rest of the pod down. They will need nutrition from their mother for the first full year of their life, if not longer. 

Adolescent Dolphin

Despite still needing nutrition from their mother’s milk, most dolphins begin to eat crustaceans and other fish starting around the age of 6 months. However, once they approach a year of age, they are playful, strong swimmers, and proper members of their pod.

Dolphins take significantly longer to reach sexual maturity than many other species. It can take the average dolphin 5 to 10 years to reach sexual maturity, with female dolphins maturing faster than male dolphins. 

Adolescent dolphins will continue to grow until they reach sexual maturity, and by that point they will be their full size. The average dolphin in the wild grows to be anywhere between 7 to 8 feet in length and over 300 pounds!

Adult Dolphin

Adult dolphins are polyamorous, meaning they don’t mate for life. They are also one of the few animals that mate for fun, not just for species reproduction. Adult bottlenose dolphins swim an average of 2 miles per hour, unless they are hunting or otherwise swimming quickly. Then, they are capable of reaching speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour. 

Many adult dolphins live to see the age of 7 to 10 years old. However, fishing is a huge threat to wild dolphins, and there is much debate as to whether or not captivity is good for dolphins. They are extremely social, and denying them their natural pod or family situation can potentially be harmful for their health. 

Orca

 Orcas are a type of marine animal. They are sometimes misidentified as whales because of their ‘killer whale’ name. But did you know that orcas are actually classified as dolphins? They are, in fact, the largest members of the dolphin family! In ancient times, mariners reported seeing orcas hunting larger whales and called them “killer whales” as a result.

Orcas may be found in every ocean on the planet. You’ll find them in the Arabian Sea to the Gulf of Mexico, from Japan’s coastal waters to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the Arctic seas to Antarctica. Because of their extraordinarily broad range across the world and erratic migrations, determining the precise global population is challenging. It is estimated that there are more than 50,000 orcas.

The average orca lifespan is between 30-50 years in the wild. In captivity, their lifespan has been averaged between 10-45 years. Orcas kept in captivity are thought to live shorter lives than those in the wild; however, this is open to scientific debate.

In orcas, life expectancy differs between sexes. Wild female orcas live an average of 50 to 80 years. Wild males live an average of 29 years, with a maximum lifespan of roughly 60 years.

Some researchers claim that females have lived even longer than most estimates. Orca Granny (J2) was considered by some experts to have been as old as 105 years old at the time of her death, despite a biopsy sample indicating her age to be 65 to 80 years. 

The Average Orca Life Cycle 

The orca life cycle is unique in many regards. Let’s explore each stage in more detail to better understand how these magnificent creatures reproduce.

Gestation Period 

Pregnancies of killer whales last 18 months, making it one of the longest gestations of any mammal. Babies are born all year, and there is no statistical evidence supporting birth seasons.

Unfortunately, orcas have a high risk of miscarriage and newborn death which is why many of their pregnancies don’t result in birth. 

Newborn Calf 

Newborn baby orcas are called calves. Calves are around 8 feet long and weigh about 400 pounds when they are born. Each orca female gives birth to only one calf at a time. The calf’s dorsal fin and tail flukes are soft and malleable in the first few days after birth. They stiffen over time as the orcas grow. Most calves grow around 64 cm (25 in.) during their first year and acquire roughly 400 kg (882 lbs.). They grow to be around 53 cm (21 in.) during their second year.

Adolescence 

As the young orcas grow, the adults teach them the skills necessary for hunting and interacting with other orcas. They advise them on the ideal eating and breeding sites, as well as the optimal migration routes. Orca culture varies widely among groups, and knowledge is passed down from generation to generation. Even when they reach adults, orcas remain with their mothers.

Adult Orca

Female orcas reach sexual maturity between the ages of 6 and 10 and begin mating around the age of 14. Males acquire sexual maturity between the ages of 10 and 13 years.

Orcas are extremely sociable creatures with intricate social structures. As they age, they continue to live in pods of up to 50 members. However, this varies according to their specific group. Males, females, and calves of varying ages make up a pod. They frequently stick together in pods, share prey, and don’t leave the group for more than a few hours at a time.

What Factors Threaten The Orca’s Lifespan

Orcas are apex predators, which means they have no natural predators. However, they are still susceptible to threats from other sources. 

Orcas are threatened by: 

Getting trapped in fishing nets by accident: Orcas are extremely vulnerable to being caught in fishing gear. Whales that become entangled may drag and swim for long distances with connected gear or become fixed in a spot and become unable to swim. These kinds of incidents cause exhaustion, impaired feeding capacity, or serious injuries, which can lead to death.

Oil spills: The 1989 Alaska Exxon Valdez oil disaster directly caused the deaths of individual killer whales. On the other hand, oil spills reduce the variety of prey species available to killer whales, which can have an indirect effect on the animals. In addition, they have been observed to accumulate some pollutants in oil, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), especially because they are known to migrate in various waters.

Food scarcity: Overfishing and habitat destruction have reduced the availability of prey for some orcas. Killer whales may have lower reproduction rates and higher death rates if there is insufficient prey.