Dolphin Tales: Dolphin digestion
As we are in the throes of the holidays, many of us are going to overindulge in lots of great foods and desserts. I remember my parents always telling me and my siblings to chew our food. We wanted to inhale all of those cakes and desserts but our parents were watching. Well, dolphins never chew their food and their dolphin parents don’t scold them. It is natural for dolphins not to chew their food.
Our local bottlenose dolphins swallow their fish and squid whole. They are also known to eat octopus, shrimp and other marine invertebrates. Thankfully, they have three separate chambers in their stomach to help them digest their food properly. Each chamber plays a vital role in digestion. This specialized system allows them to stay active, agile and always ready to explore the ocean.
The first chamber, or forestomach, is like a holding chamber. It is used to store whole food until the next chamber is ready to accept the food. No digestion happens in the forestomach. The main stomach referred to as the digestion chamber, is where powerful digestive enzymes start breaking down the food. The final chamber is called the absorption chamber. This final chamber further processes the food and controls how nutrients move into the intestines.
The multi- chambered stomach allows dolphins to extract nutrients quickly. This ensures that they have the energy to swim, hunt and play. Dolphins are constantly on the move. They eat quickly without stopping for long periods of time. This digestion system allows them to digest food efficiently to gain energy fast. It keeps them lightweight and agile in the water. Because they don’t chew their food, their digestive system does all the work of breaking it down properly.
Keep in mind that it is against federal law to feed wild dolphins. Swimming with or feeding dolphins can be dangerous for both human and dolphin, and should not be attempted. Wild dolphins are more likely to be injured if humans feed them. They can get entangled in fishing line or cast nets. Feeding dolphins can cause them to depend on human food for nourishment and abandon hunting sites and their instinct to hunt.
Captain Cathy Eagle has spent over 45 years boating on our local waters. As a professional charter captain, she specializes in Dolphin and Nature Tours. You can reach her at CaptainCathy.com or call /text (239) 994-2572. Welcome aboard!