“Thou . . . art Lord alone; Thou hast made . . . the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all.” Nehemiah 9:66Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. (Nehemiah 9:6).
In the two preceding issues we have looked at the activities of dolphins found throughout the world. There are about 40 species, ranging from 3 to 15 feet long, some weighing 1000 pounds or more. Following is a partial listing of some of the more common ones.
The bottle-nosed dolphins are big, up to 12 feet long and weigh as much as 1200 pounds. Their name comes from their long, round snouts which look like they would fit in a bottle. Many of these dolphins are found in the warm waters off the coasts of Georgia and Florida, where they enjoy swimming with large groups of people who swim and play in the water there.
They get along well with other dolphin species, but don’t let them intrude into their community. The bottle-nosed are the ones usually performing at aquariums and water shows.
The spotted are well named and familiar to swimmers in the Bahama Islands where they share the water with them. They are an outstanding variety with bodies completely covered from nose tip to tail with a pattern of small black and white spots. On some the spots are just in certain areas, but with others the spots are in long rows between narrow, coal-black stripes. When swimming near the surface they leave long white patches of air bubbles behind them.
The spinners are among others preferring Hawaiian waters and are a great attraction to tourists. Some make their homes in the Gulf of Mexico. They usually swim in groups of from five to ten and make an attractive display of their graceful ways.
The Indus River dolphins are most unusual, making their homes in the waters of India. These are nearly blind, their pinhole-like eyes not seeing much more than darkness and light. They range from four to eight feet in length and have long bony snouts lined with sharp teeth. They sweep their long snouts from side to side along river bottoms, using their “echo systems” to direct them to their meals of fish in the dark waters.
Just to name a few others, there are the humpbacked, dalls, soto, vaquites, beiji, and many more. Each represents another display of the wonders of God’s creation and a reminder of the way in which He cares for them all, as the above Bible verse tells us.
There is another verse that invites us to trust in Him: “[Cast] all your care upon Him; for He [cares] for you.” 1 Peter 5:77Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7).
When we think of His loving care, we should follow what another verse tells us: “[Give] thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:2020Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:20). He would delight to hear that you are thankful for His loving care.
ML-07/25/1993