Fun Facts

About Octopuses:

- They are invertebrates most closely related to squid and cuttlefish.
- There are over 200 species of octopuses.
- They have three hearts.
- An octopus can regrow arms it has lost.
- Octopuses have specialized skin cells that change their coloring to match their surroundings.
- They are very intelligent.
- The largest octopus ever found was 300 pounds with an arm span of 33 feet.
- Octopuses have wonderful eyesight and a complex sense of touch and taste. They are, however, deaf.
- An adult octopus can squeeze through the size of a dime hole.

About Sea Turtles:

-They are members of the superfamily Cheloniodea and inhabit all of the world’s oceans except for the Polar Regions.
-Sea turtles are marine reptiles and one of the earth’s most ancient animals.
-Sea turtles differ from other turtles in that they are unable to retract their head and legs into their shells.
-There are seven species of sea turtle.
-The Leatherback is the largest sea turtle, reaching lengths of 10 feet and weights of 2,000 pounds.
-All sea turtles nest on coastal beaches. The female comes ashore, digs a deep hole with her rear flippers and then lays her eggs in the soft sand.
-After an incubation period of 45-70 days, the young will emerge and make a dash to the sea.
-Sea turtles can live to be over 80 years of age.
-Sea turtles hear vibration more than sound as we know it. Their eyesight underwater is good, and they have an excellent sense of smell.

About Dolphins:

- The Dolphin family (Delphinidae) has 36 species.
- The largest dolphin is the orca, or killer whale at 23 feet long and 4.5 tons. The
smallest is the Heaviside’s dolphin at only 3 ½ feet long and 88 pounds.
- Dolphins have an eye on each side of their head. They can see forward,
sideways and even behind them.
- They have a single blowhole on top of their heads, which has a flap that opens
to reveal a pair of nostrils. They breathe by coming to the surface of the water.
- They produce a number of sounds: clicks, whistles, and burst-pulse sounds.
The clicks are used for echolocation, the dolphin’s form of sonar.
- Bottlenose dolphins are probably the most well-known.
- Dolphins eat fish and squid.
- Dolphins can swim up to 260 m. below the surface of the ocean.
- They are able to stay underwater for up to 15 minutes.