Mr. Dolphin's Close Relatives

Dolphins are closely related to whales.

  

Picture from The Original Dolphin Watch

Dolphins and whales are members of the same scientific order, Cetacea.  There are a total of 36 species in the dolphin family, including the largest dolphin which is actually the killer whale.  The most well known dolphin however is the bottlenose dolphin.

The scientific order, called Cetacea, includes dolphins, whales, and porpoises. The dolphin family Delphinidae has 36 species in all. It can get confusing at times, because some members of the dolphin family have the word whale in their common name. In fact, the largest dolphin is the killer whale! Depending on the species, dolphins range in color from white, pearl, and pink to darker shades of brown, gray, blue, and black. - See more at: http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/dolphin#sthash.ZnXYIEFB.dpuf

The scientific order, called Cetacea, includes dolphins, whales, and porpoises. The dolphin family Delphinidae has 36 species in all. It can get confusing at times, because some members of the dolphin family have the word whale in their common name. In fact, the largest dolphin is the killer whale! Depending on the species, dolphins range in color from white, pearl, and pink to darker shades of brown, gray, blue, and black. - See more at: http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/dolphin#sthash.ZnXYIEFB.dpuf