Dolphins Chatter about Hilton Head

There is so much to learn about the amazing animals that are local to this wonderful Island. On our Dolphin and Nature Tour you will get to see these incredible bottlenose dolphins and other animals local to Hilton Head. Being a mammal, dolphins have a lot of similarities to humans. Dolphins communicate with one another much like people do. They have their own language that is a combination of chirps, whistles and clicks. Dolphins make these sounds without even opening their mouths, they don’t have vocal cords like we do. Dolphins communicate with body language and gestures much the same way humans do. The way they flip their tale or posture their body communicates to the other dolphin. Just like our language the combination of sounds can have different meanings depending on the situation. As many of the words in our language can have multiple meanings depending on the tone they are spoken in. Each dolphin chooses its own signature whistle by its first birthday. That signature whistle is their name and can stick with them for up to 10 years. Dolphins also communicate using echolocation.

Echolocation is a type of sonar that assists dolphins in communication and the location of items within the water. They sense items up to several hundred feet away without being able to see them. Dolphins send out sound waves, the sound waves help to determine the size, shape and distance of an object. Echolocation is one of the dolphin’s superpowers! They send out a series of clicks, amplified by its melon and hear it bouncing off different objects giving them a picture in their head. This allows them to avoid potential dangers and find those tasty fish that are buried in the sandy bottom of the ocean. Dolphins have what is called a melon in their head and its main purpose is to work as an amplifier for the sounds and clicks the dolphin releases. Dolphins are considered to have some of the best hearing in the animal kingdom. I could just go on and on but will sign off for now. Come back for more information on dolphins and the other incredible animals we have here on Hilton Head Island. For a viewing of these great animals and other local wildlife come take our Dolphin and Nature Cruise! We guarantee that you will see dolphins. Until next time………Katie