| Baracuda Scuba Safaris... |
| We dive paradise... |
| Dolphins & Whale Sharks... |
For many years 'Baracuda Diving Team' and their guests have
enjoyed encounters both above and below the Indian Ocean with
Bottle Nosed Dolphin and Whale Sharks.
A few years ago we designed a full day tour, for divers and
non-divers alike, to see these amazing creatures.
The trip is available from October - March, and is fully escorted by
members of Baracuda Diving Teams, Dive Guides.
The trip includes a stop at 'Robinson Island' for some snorkeling,
and lunch on the beach at the 'Blue Marlin'.
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| Bottle nosed dolphins... |
| Whale Sharks... |
The Bottle nosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), is a relatively robust
dolphin, with a short stubby beak. It has a more flexible neck, as 5 of
the 7 neck vertebrae are not fused together. Generally light to slate
gray on the upper part of the body, shading to lighter sides and
pale, pinkish gray on the belly. 18 to 26 pairs or sharp, conical teeth
line each side of the jaw. The dorsal fin is high and curved and
located near the middle of the back. An adult length can be from
2.5M-3.8M and may weight as much as 650kg.
Feeding involves primarily, individual prey capture, but sometimes
involves coordinated efforts. An adult dolphin may consume 8-15kg
each day, consisting of fish, squid, and crustaceans.
Males reach sexual maturity at about 10 years. Females between
6-10 years. The gestation period is 12 months, but calving may take
place year round. Calves nurse for up to 18 months, staying with
their mother for 3-6 years, learning how to catch fish and other
important tasks.
dolphin, with a short stubby beak. It has a more flexible neck, as 5 of
the 7 neck vertebrae are not fused together. Generally light to slate
gray on the upper part of the body, shading to lighter sides and
pale, pinkish gray on the belly. 18 to 26 pairs or sharp, conical teeth
line each side of the jaw. The dorsal fin is high and curved and
located near the middle of the back. An adult length can be from
2.5M-3.8M and may weight as much as 650kg.
Feeding involves primarily, individual prey capture, but sometimes
involves coordinated efforts. An adult dolphin may consume 8-15kg
each day, consisting of fish, squid, and crustaceans.
Males reach sexual maturity at about 10 years. Females between
6-10 years. The gestation period is 12 months, but calving may take
place year round. Calves nurse for up to 18 months, staying with
their mother for 3-6 years, learning how to catch fish and other
important tasks.
Whale Sharks (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish in the sea,
averaging around 10M in length and weighting up to 20 tons. The
shape of the whale shark is very distinctive, unlike most other
sharks, it has a mouth on the under side of its broad head. On its
body there is a pattern of light spots and stripes set on a dark back
ground, graduating to a light colour on its under belly. It has 2
dorsal fins, the front being much larger than the rear. The teeth are
very small, about 6mm long and have about 3,000 rows in each jaw,
but are not used for feeding.
Little is know about how long they live, but it is thought that whale
sharks may live to be up to 150 years.
Whale sharks are filter feeders, cruising at around 2-3 knots, they
filter thousands of gallons of water, extracting plankton. Plankton is
a microscopic organism that floats freely with the ocean currents,
and is made up of tiny plants (phytoplankton) and tiny animals
(zoo plankton).
It is believed that whale sharks become sexually mature at about
25-30 years, or 8-9M in length.
In 1995 an 11M female was harpooned off the eastern coast of
Taiwan, and 300 fetal specimens, ranging in length from 42 to
63cm, were taken from her 2 uteri. This discovery proved that the
species is a 'live bearer'.
averaging around 10M in length and weighting up to 20 tons. The
shape of the whale shark is very distinctive, unlike most other
sharks, it has a mouth on the under side of its broad head. On its
body there is a pattern of light spots and stripes set on a dark back
ground, graduating to a light colour on its under belly. It has 2
dorsal fins, the front being much larger than the rear. The teeth are
very small, about 6mm long and have about 3,000 rows in each jaw,
but are not used for feeding.
Little is know about how long they live, but it is thought that whale
sharks may live to be up to 150 years.
Whale sharks are filter feeders, cruising at around 2-3 knots, they
filter thousands of gallons of water, extracting plankton. Plankton is
a microscopic organism that floats freely with the ocean currents,
and is made up of tiny plants (phytoplankton) and tiny animals
(zoo plankton).
It is believed that whale sharks become sexually mature at about
25-30 years, or 8-9M in length.
In 1995 an 11M female was harpooned off the eastern coast of
Taiwan, and 300 fetal specimens, ranging in length from 42 to
63cm, were taken from her 2 uteri. This discovery proved that the
species is a 'live bearer'.
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