Delicate Triple Dolphin Anklet

They are among the most intelligent creatures on Planet Earth. They have dwelled in all the oceans of the Planet for over 3 million years. They are some of the largest creatures Earth's history has ever known. They have captured the imaginations of countless Human cultures and individuals. And yet so little is known about them. What, or who, are whales and dolphins, and why is there such a close bond between our two so very different species?

Whales, dolphins and their smaller relatives, the porpoises, are known to science as cetaceans. Although similar in appearance to many species of fish, whales and dolphins are warm-blooded, breathe air from the water's surface, give birth to live young and feed their young on milk. These characteristics mean that cetaceans are in fact mammals, just like humans. There are over 80 species of whales and dolphins recognised by science, and there may be even more yet to be discovered. They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the tiny Vaquita porpoise at 1.3 m in length, to the well-known friendly bottlenose dolphin, to the enormous blue whale - the largest creature Earth has ever known.