Striped dolphins are named for the vivid dark and light stripes that run along their sides. They are fast, energetic swimmers and love to leap completely out of the water - a behaviour called breaching. Scientists think dolphins breach for several reasons: to communicate, to knock off parasites, or simply because it feels exciting. Groups of striped dolphins can sometimes number in the hundreds.
Bottlenose dolphins are the species most people recognise from nature programmes. They are very social and live in small family groups called pods. Bottlenose dolphins are known for their intelligence - they use tools (like sponges to protect their snouts while foraging on the sea floor), have individual names for one another (a unique whistle for each dolphin), and play games together.
The Pelagos Sanctuary is a protected area of the Mediterranean Sea that covers the waters between France, Italy and Monaco. It was set up specially to protect marine mammals - including dolphins and whales - from disturbance and pollution. Monaco was one of the founders of this sanctuary, and the Oceanographic Museum monitors the health of the dolphins and other animals that live there.