Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Don't Worry About That Dorsal Fin!
I love to swim in the ocean. I think that it is fun to feel the wet sand squish between my toes. I also think that it is fun to ride over the gentle waves. Once when I was swimming, I saw a huge dorsal fin coming right towards me! That was not fun. That was scary! I was afraid that I was swimming with a shark. I ran to the shore as fast as I could. Luckily, that eerie back fin did not belong to a shark. It belonged to a dolphin.
Dolphins are beautiful aquatic animals. There are almost forty different kinds of dolphins. These awesome animals easily swim through the water. They use the flippers on their sides to help them steer. Most dolphins have dorsal fins. This is used for more than just scaring swimming tourists. It is designed to help a dolphin keep its balance.
Dolphins are mammals. They are warm blooded just like us. Like humans, they also have a backbone and give birth to live young called calves. Mother dolphins feed their calves milk from their bodies. Dolphins have soft skin that feels a lot like rubber. Some people even say that their skin kind of feels like a hot dog!
