5 Surprising Facts about Dolphins

Based on a study published in Proceedings: Biological Sciences in 1998, it was found that 5 juvenile bottlenose dolphins suffered fatal injuries due to attacks by adult males of the same species. It is later known that the adult males did that so the female dolphins are ready to do the mating process again.

Not as innocent as they seem, dolphins are often violent and forceful when it comes to sex. For example, pods of two or three male bottlenose dolphins force females to mate, sometimes for weeks. If the female dolphin refuses, then the male will make intimidating sounds and commit violence by hitting his tail against the female's body.

According to National Geographic, dolphins can stay awake for five days straight without losing their mental acuity. In fact, they must remain conscious even when they are sleeping. This is because dolphin breathing is not automatically controlled.

In the documentary series "Spy in the Pod", a group of dolphins are seen head-butting a pufferfish. Pufferfish are known to secrete spines and venom to protect themselves. Usually, animals will run away when the poison is released, but not these dolphins. In the video, the dolphin is seen flying and enjoying its own time.

It is known that some animals can get sexually transmitted infections (STIs). According to HuffPost, one of them is the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), which can have genital warts.