Fun-Fact Friday

This meme is something that my Mother is hosting over at The Coult Family. Go and check it out!

For my "Fun Facts" I am going to share a little bit about Dolphins and another little bit about the history of Mexico. I figured that it is only fitting since we live on the coast of Mexico!


*DOLPHINS*:

Did you know... The killer whale is the largest dolphin (true whales don’t have teeth but sift their prey through plates of baleen). The smallest dolphin is the Hector or Maui Dolphin, of which only 150 are left today.

Did you know... The narwhal dolphin has a large ivory tusk (like a unicorn). Because of this unique feature they are often hunted. The only remaining populations are in the Greenland Sea and Baffin Bay.

Did you know...Just a tablespoon of water in a dolphin’s lung could drown it, while a human could drown if six teaspoons of water were inhaled into the lungs.

Did you know... A baby dolphin is born tail-first to prevent drowning. After the mother breaks the umbilical cord by swiftly swimming away, she must immediately return to her baby and take it to the surface to breathe.

Did you know... A female dolphin will assist in the birth of another dolphin's baby, and if it is a difficult birth, the “midwife” might help pull out the baby. Other dolphins, including bulls, will swim around the mother during birth to protect her.

Did you know... Air can be expelled from a dolphin’s blowhole at speeds topping 100 mph.

Did you know... Dolphins do not breathe automatically as humans do and will die if given a general anesthetic. They must sleep at the surface of the water with their blowholes exposed. Dolphins shut down only half of their brain while they sleep to stay alert and breathing.

Did you know... Dolphin teeth are used for grasping, not chewing. They have no jaw muscles for chewing.

*MEXICO*:

Did you know... Mexico introduced chocolate, corn, and chilies to the world.

Did you know... The red poinsettia (which the Aztecs called cuetlaxochitl) originated in Mexico and is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States ambassador to Mexico (in the 1820s).

Did you know... Mexico City is built over the ruins of a great Aztec city, Tenochtitlán. Because it is built on a lake, Mexico City is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year as pumps draw water out for the city’s growing population. [Scary thought]