Bottlenose dolphins are well-known dolphins found worldwide. They are noted for their playful activity, acrobatics, and intelligence. These dolphins hunt in groups to herd and confine fish for easier capture. Adult males typically move in groups of two to three individuals, females live in pods of about a dozen animals with their immature offspring. The groups are not fixed, and may merge or split up as the situation demands.
Bottlenose dolphins have been known to assist humans in distress in the water. They are known to lift injured divers to the surface to help them breathe, and have been observed protecting groups of swimmers from nearby sharks. In folklore, they are often credited with rescuing victims of shipwrecks and towing them to shore.