Flipper is in town

Nature designed them with a smile and a brain larger than humans. With their wide foreheads and grinning faces dolphins are easily categorised as ‘cute' by most people.

But this is where the problem begins as scientists have classified over 67 species of marine and freshwater dolphins, which includes the white killer whales, sperm whales and porpoises. They all belong to the group of warm-blooded mammals called Cetaceans.

The fact of the matter is that the marine mammal, which has achieved superstardom with the Hollywood blockbuster Flipper and most identified with the species, is the classic grey bottlenose dolphin.

While much has been written about them, nobody has truly managed to decipher the bottlenose. They are not mythical or magical but do have a mysterious quality and intelligence, which makes them the subject of many a scientific study.

What do they do with their large brain? Apparently they use it for complex communication systems that help them survive in the wild. It also means that they are sensitive to pain and stress.

And this extends to their skin, which has nerve endings - it explains why they like being stroked or tickled. The specific global population of bottlenoses is unknown but it has been estimated to be around 125,000.

They are not on the endangered list but are among the protected wildlife species around the world. Depending on the region where they are located, their life expectancy could vary anywhere between 10 and 50 years.

They largely inhabit temperate and tropical waters, which include deeper parts of oceans to bays, lagoons, estuaries and gulfs.

Playful air breathing mammals, the bottlenose has developed quite a reputation as a party animal in its numerous interactions with humans both in the wild and in marine parks and aquariums. We take a look at what makes the aquatic mammal a top billing aquatic star.