Can dolphins or whales live in fresh water?
They don’t need to breathe in water so assuming they have enough prey I don’t see why the water’s saltinity affects them.
But then why don’t we have dolphins playing in the Mississippi river?
Can dolphins or whales live in fresh water?
They don’t need to breathe in water so assuming they have enough prey I don’t see why the water’s saltinity affects them.
But then why don’t we have dolphins playing in the Mississippi river?
Orcas rely on the salt in the water to keep their skin healthy. If they stay too long even fresh water they will succumb to infections. Other types of dolphins seems to be able to adjust a little better to shifting amounts of salt in the water. I have no clue about the larger whales but I suspect they have problems with fresh water because they wont float as easy in it.
Good call on buoyancy! Swimming in fresh water would probably feel like us walking in knee high mud.