Dolphin pod near Réunion island Sep 12, 2024

Dolphins are highly intelligent and can be found all over the world in oceans, rivers and estuaries. As mammals, dolphins don"t have gills so they can"t breathe underwater. They must surface to inhale and exhale stale air, which they do through blowholes and not their mouths. How long they can hold their breath depends on the species; some can go for 3 to 7 minutes, while others can stay submerged for up to 20 minutes. Because they must always surface, half of dolphins" brains are always active, meaning they never completely fall asleep. Despite being able to exist in an array of environments and water temperatures, dolphins are threatened by a variety of human activities, such as hunting, pollution and fishing.

© Joost van Uffelen/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Sep 12, 2023North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Germany
Sep 12, 2025Spinner dolphin pod
Sept 12, 2026California sea lions, offshore Mexico, Pacific Ocean

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 21, 2024Lion cubs, South Africa
Jan 17, 2024Eurasian wolf
Oct 12, 2025Saranac Lake, New York
Apr 24, 2024White trilliums in Ontario, Canada
Jun 29, 2025Blue lagoon of Pulau Ay, Banda Islands, Indonesia
Oct 27, 2024Polar bear
Mar 31, 2024A great egret in the Pantanal
Oct 30, 2024Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy
Apr 2, 2025Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah, United States
Oct 12, 2024Wood duck, Quebec, Canada
Feb 8, 2025Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
Nov 18, 2024Porthcawl lighthouse, Wales
Nov 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Oct 8, 2024Mototi octopus
June 10, 2026Hnausapollur crater lake, Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland
Jan 4, 2026Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska, United States
Sep 30, 2023Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA
Nov 10, 2025Black-tailed prairie dogs
Sep 29, 2024West Cornwall Covered Bridge, Connecticut, USA
Dec 5, 2025Maya site of Copán, Honduras
June 26, 2026The River Thames, London, England
Nov 21, 2023Grey seal pup
Nov 6, 2025Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, Lamphun, Thailand
Jun 13, 2025Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
Feb 12, 2024Galápagos tortoise
Feb 12, 2025Marine iguanas, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Mar 30, 2026Demoiselle cranes, India
Jan 18, 2025Dunes at White Sands National Park, New Mexico
Apr 21, 2025Joshua trees under the Milky Way, California, United States
Apr 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, USA