Sarah Blake

Sharks and dolphins have a similar physical appearance which makes it difficult to discern them from the water's surface.

Though sharks and dolphins are sea creatures that share the same color and size, on closer observation, you can find several distinct features and attributes. The basic difference is that sharks and dolphins are animals of divergent species.

Sharks belong to the fish species. They not only have gills but can breathe underwater and are also cold-blooded. The shark's body has the unique feature of having a soft underbelly.

In comparison, dolphins are warm-blooded mammals and breathe air. Dolphins, since they are mammals, like human beings, give birth to the baby dolphin.

Dolphins are capable of using only one side of their brain while sleeping. This helps them to be alert when a shark preys on them. It is interesting to find that sharks, though they do not belong to the mammal category, give birth to their young ones.

Dolphin exhibits fantastic social skills. They travel at an incredible speed in groups and make use of sounds to converse and traverse. But most shark species choose to live alone and do not make use of sounds to converse and navigate.

Sharks make use of gills to breathe, whereas dolphins depend upon their blowholes to breathe air. The gills of the shark are seen near the head, and a dolphin's blowhole is located on top of the head. Dolphins and sharks feed on the same food source.

Both sharks and dolphins are gray in color and have almost the same life spans; approximately 20-30 years. Certain varieties of dolphins live for more than 40 years.

Though both dorsal fins are located at the rear, it is not difficult to distinguish them from their fins above the surface of the water. Sharks and dolphins have pectoral fins placed on their sides, but the sharks have more of them. They can be distinguished from the way they swim.

Dolphins move their tails up and down while in motion. If the movement is back and forth, it is probably a shark.

Did you like the fun facts gathered above? You can learn more about sharks by reading the Kidadl article about how sharks mate and how sharks sleep.

Humans avoid coming into contact with jellyfish because their sting releases a venomous substance in the human body which can lead to various health problems and can also be fatal.

Jellyfish are known for their venomous tentacles and life-threatening stings. Jellyfish have specialized cysts on their tentacles known as nematocysts, which release venom.

According to scientific research, it has been found that 52% of the world's turtle population has consumed plastic waste. Excessive plastic garbage in the nesting areas can be potentially dangerous for hatchlings as they may get entangled in the plastic, which prevents them from reaching the beach and can ultimately lead to them dying.

The ingestion of plastic by turtles can cause various health problems, such as stunted growth and a slow reproduction rate. Ingestion of plastic can be fatal to turtles; sharp plastic can cause rupturing of internal body organs, as well as intestinal damage and blockages.

When this happens, turtles are unable to feed and can die from starvation. The World Wildlife Fund is dedicated to preserving the endangered sea turtle species by reducing plastic pollution and other measures.

Almost 30 million years ago, the ancestors of turtles had teeth. However, turtles no longer have teeth and instead bite their food with the help of complicated ridge-like structures found on their jaws.

If you are interested in this article about whether or not sea turtles eat jellyfish, then you will also enjoy learning whether sea turtles can breathe underwater and discovering if turtles can drown.