Why We Live Here . . . Bottlenose Dolphin ~ Lewes, Delaware

The Bottlenose Dolphin is one of the most well known species of marine mammals that are often spotted year round along the coast of Sussex County, Delaware.  An early morning or an early evening trek to the beach or a ride on the Bay or the Ocean and you too can witness one of nature’s most magnificent sites.  Dolphins are highly social and travel in groups called Pods that can vary in size from 10 to more than 1,000.  While kayak fishing on this beautiful day, our adventurous agent Angela was fortunate enough to be surrounded by Dolphins, and one surfaced at the perfect moment for this photo.

Explore many of the waterfront communities in which you could live and view these spectacular creatures every day: Broadkill Beach, Cape Shores, Indian Beach, Lewes Beach, Rehoboth by the Sea, South Shore and more!

Dolphins search for prey primarily using echolocation, which is similar to sonar. They emit clicking sounds and listen for the return echoes to determine the location and shape of nearby items, including potential prey. Bottlenose Dolphins also use sound for communication, including squeaks and whistles, as well as sounds emitted through body movements, such as leaping from the water and slapping their tails on the water surface. The deepest dive ever recorded for a bottlenose dolphin was 990 feet. This was accomplished by Tuffy, a Dolphin trained by the US Navy for wartime tasks, such as locating sea mines and detecting enemy divers.

Bottlenose Dolphins have the second largest encephalization levels—the amount of brain mass related to an animal’s total body mass—of any mammal on Earth (humans have the largest), which more than likely contributes to their incredibly high intelligence and emotional intelligence.  The species sometimes shows curiosity towards humans in or near water. It is important to remember that these are wild animals and while they are fascinating to watch, it is best to keep your distance and give them their space.  (Source: Wikipedia)

There’s nothing better than a beach vacation—except actually living at the Beach!  Contact Us and let us show you just how easy it is to make the beach your home!

Photo Credits: This photo was taken by the inner-wall in Lewes by our own Angela Yerton.