Page 10 - Destin Snorkel Handbook

TOUR SPEECHES
TOUR SPEECHES

Destin Snorkel trips are not just trips they are tours and are designed to entertain customers
throughout the trip. As a Destin Snorkel mate you may or may not have to give one or more speeches
depending on the captain you are with. These speeches include Dolphin Speeches, Crab Island
Speeches and Harbor Tour Speeches. It’s good to be familiar with each topic so you will be prepared
to give a speech when needed or be prepared to answer any questions about the area.
Below are some facts about each topic that will help you in doing so.

Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin
• Average length is 6-12 feet and been known to get up to 15 feet in length
• Lifespan is 40-50years and females live 5-10 years longer
• They weigh anywhere from 300-1400 pounds
• Oldest recorded dolphin to live was Nellie from marineland, she was 61 years old
• Average speed is 3-7 mph but are capable of bursts up to 18-20 mph for a short time
• Can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes but typically surface for breath 2-3 times a minute
• They never fully sleep, they shut down one side of their brain keeping the other side active to remember to
come up for air and switch each side on and o throughout the sleeping cycle
• They eat 30lbs of sh every day per dolphin in order to get their
freshwater intake for the day to stay hydrated. This is a
process where sh will convert saltwater to freshwater
through its gills and blood
• Females live in pods up to 15 while males live
alone or 2-3 in their pod which they only join
for a short period of time before moving on
• Mothers will carry their babies for 12 months
(Breading season is year round)
• New Born will Stick to its mothers side for 2-3
years or after they learn everything they need
to know as well as develop sonar location
• New born are 3-5 feet when born and about 20-60 lbs
• Echo Sonar Location is used to hunt for food as well as locate
objects such as boats. They produce clicking sounds that return to them as an echo when it bounces o an
object. This allows them to determine the shape, size, distance and location of something
• They communicate through sounds, whistles, slapping of the tail and jumping out of the water. This help them
locate others in the pod, alert of danger, call pods to help hunt sh as wells as coordinate hunting strategies
• They love attention and are very curious towards humans and are very playful and love playing in boat wakes as
well as riding the bow of a boat
• They can jump up to 20 feet out of the water and they do this to for a few reasons; to just have fun and play, to
clean themselves of parasites, to communicate with other dolphins and to locate prey from above
• Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins are non migratory, they stay and live where they are born
• There is a estimate of 150-200 Bottlenose dolphins in Destin