Echolocation: Dolphins

Dolphins rely on echolocation to navigate and survive in their aquatic environment. While they have good vision, sound travels faster and more effectively in water, making it a crucial sense for marine mammals. Dolphins produce sounds using air sacs and their melon, creating whistles for social interaction and pulse sounds for echolocation. These sounds help them detect objects and prey, even those hidden under sand. The echoes received in their jaws are processed by their brains, allowing them to interpret their surroundings. Sound is vital for dolphins' navigation, hunting, and communication in the ocean.

Why is echolocation crucial for dolphins in their aquatic environment?

• Because light travels faster in water than sound.

• Because sound travels faster in water than in air.

• Because dolphins have poor vision.

• Because dolphins cannot hear well.

How do dolphins produce the sounds used for communication and echolocation?

• By vibrating their tails.

• By clicking their teeth.

• By moving air through their blowholes.

• By clapping their fins together.

What is the primary purpose of the whistles produced by dolphins?

• To communicate socially with other dolphins.

• To scare away predators.

• To navigate through murky waters.

• To locate food sources.

How do dolphins receive the echoes that help them interpret their surroundings?

• Through their dorsal fins.

• Through specialized tissues in their jaws.

• Through their tails.

• Through their fins.

What ability does echolocation give dolphins in terms of finding food?

• It enables them to communicate with fish.

• It helps them find fish hiding under the sand.

• It allows them to see in the dark.

• It allows them to change the water temperature.