Dolphins: Even Smarter Than You Thought | Nat Geo Live

From learning English symbols to teaming up to trick their prey, dolphin intelligence continues to surprise researchers. National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry catches the dolphins' remarkable behavior in action.

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Dolphins: Even Smarter Than You Thought | Nat Geo Live

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[peterwachira]

in a parallel universe, the dolphins are watching this video in their recommended list

[jessepriest]

A dolphin accidentally bit my hand when I was five years old, he's submerged himself it didn't come back for a while because he felt stupid. I love that dolphin for having more apologetic concern than most human beings

[isharkyshark]

The only thing holding dolphins back from making tools and building cities is their anatomy; they don't have thumbs or fingers. If they did however...

[Lugmillord]

I hope that we will understand the dolphin speech before I die. THat's one my big dreams for human achievements.

[mudslynger]

That photograph of the dolphins, penguin, and bird all feeding on an anchovy ball is spectacular.

[nunyabiznez]

I live along the west coast of Florida. I frequently see dolphins, I think they are bottle nose but I'm not certain of the species. I see them more frequently in the winter. They like to come into the harbor where the water is more shallow and warm. There is a small pod that I frequently see visit the same spot. Along the sea wall there is a spot where the wall forms an ell. The water is perhaps about 6-10 feet deep and is near where pleasure craft are moored. It seems they have figured out how to trap fish in that ell in the sea wall. A couple of winters ago I watched a mother teach it's two calves (at least I assumed they were both hers or perhaps she was simply the designated teacher of the young i that pod) how to trap the fish along the sea wall. It was fun to watch. This past winter I saw the now much bigger two young dolphins on several occasions visit this spot and they continue to trap fish in that spot. They each and sometimes other dolphins with them but there is almost always those same two (they have distinctive markings on their dorsal fins that make it easy to recognize them) who do this and they swim out to where the docks are then turn around and corral fish against the sea wall then there is a sort of feeding frenzy. They repeat this perhaps half a dozen to a dozen times taking turns in various positions along the sea wall and between the docks getting the fish from different angles. There is always at least one that does most of the driving of the fish into position and the other who snatches them as they run into the wall then turn around and find they are trapped. Often the fish will jump out of the water and there is a dolphin waiting for it with mouth open.

But back to the first winter I saw these two young dolphins. I was sitting on the edge of the sea wall watching them. My feet were perhaps about two feet from the surface of the water. One of the dolphins was playing with a two liter bottle that someone probably dumped over board from their boat. The two were tossing the bottle back and forth in a game of catch. After a while they seemed to get kind of brave. The mother was perhaps fifty feet from the sea wall swimming back and forth. the two little ones were getting closer and closer to the sea wall until one was less than five feet from me. All of a sudden I got recruited into the game of catch. One of the dolphins tossed the bottle up out of the water towards me and he had pretty good aim because I all had to do was reach out to catch the bottle. I looked at them then tossed the bottle to the other young dolphin who caught the bottle then tossed it to his sibling who then tossed it back to me. We did this about three or four times and then I realized it was probably not a good idea to let them have trash to play with so I kept the bottle the next time it was tossed to me. I am fairly certain this little game of theirs was a learned behavior. Perhaps someone tossed the bottle to them to see what they would do with it. Anyways they both got kind of vocal when they realized I wasn't returning their toy. That is when the mother swam over and guided them back out of the marina and back out into the main area of the harbor. I have seen them many times after that but I think they are angry with me because they have never come that close to me again though obviously they see me and recognize me. they always stick their head out and look at me for a moment then swim back to what they were doing ignoring me the rest o the time.. It's almost as though they are saying "Let's see who that is." then the see me and say "Oh it's HIM!" and then swim away.

On another occasion at a different location I was fishing standing in about three feet of water when a very young dolphin, probably very curious swam right up to me. I could see the pod of about half a dozen dolphins perhaps about fifty feet away where the water was about four feet deep. They were probably doing the same thing I was doing. So this little dolphin was so tiny I could have easily picked it up and held it in my arms and I'm not sure it wouldn't have let me if I tried. It got within maybe three or four feet of me and watched intently as I baited my hook and then cast out the line. It went over to where the bait was and kind of circled for a while then swam back to me and watched some more and then I caught a fish and reeled it in. It was too small for me to keep legally so I tossed it back in the water. Of course I showed it to the baby dolphin and then tossed in to where he could easily get it which he did. It's not legal to actually feed a dolphin but it's also not legal to keep an undersized fish. I had to toss it back. So I tossed it more or less away from the dolphin but being the smart creatures they are this one swam right over and easily caught the fish which was most likely disoriented and stunned from having just been caught on a hook. I caught two more undersized fish and tossed both of them back and this youngster snatched both of them as well. But then I caught my dinner, put it into my bucket, bid the little dolphin goodbye and turned around and left. I looked back once to see him return to the pod. I have to guess that he must have interacted with other humans already as not one member of the pod seemed that upset that he swam over to a human. Not one made a move to retrieve him though they did seem to be rather occupied most likely fishing themselves and maybe they simply didn't notice the youngster wandering off.

I have noticed dolphins hanging around the fishing pier hoping for a hand out. They seem to be very aware of the baited hooks being cast out as I have never seen one get hooked. They stay just out of reach of where the lines are cast. Sometimes they approach up close to the pier which is about three feet out of the water but only approach the part of the pier where the fishermen don't cast from. I think they have the whole thing figured out and know exactly what the fishermen are doing and know exactly where to lay in wait for fish who don't understand that those little fish they are chasing are attached to fishing lines. I have seen many dolphins chase fish and catch them around the fishing pier but never do any get close to where the fishermen cast out their lines. I have seen many of them "spy hop" and watch the fishermen and other people at the pier. One eyeballed me for five strait minutes while I eyeballed him back. Ever have a staring contest with a dolphin? They will win every time.

It is my observation that dolphins are opportunistic feeders. Like human, each group has figured out how to obtain food in their area and each group has come up with their own strategies and techniques and they teach those to their young. I have personally witnessed half a dozen different feeding behaviors in just a three mile radius along the shore. There must be hundreds or perhaps even thousands of different feeding behaviors among all the different species of dolphins around the world.

[djimma]

I wonder how a dolphin would react to video that went from being underwater to flying through the air over the ground so they can see what is beyond the coast line

[DestinysComputer]

Dolphins are absolutely up to something. I don't know what is it is, but it's definitely something.

[clwbchbabycakes]

A friend and I were on a small island in the intercoastal waterway in Clearwater, Florida when I saw a mama and baby dolphin swim by. And they came back and forth a few times. Then I spotted about 10 grown dolphins heading straight toward them, sending a bait ball right at them. Then baby was able to make her own catch. That was amazing to watch the whole family teach the baby how to catch fish!! That magical moment was such a beautiful gift.

[jamesanderson]

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

[spookmineer]

These pictures are amazing... Some of them almost seem like paintings.

[writerconsidered]

Most of those intelligence tests were simple simon tests that basically insult the dolphins intelligence. We will never know how smart they are until we can have two way communication with them. The most intelligent thing I have seen from a dolphin is a wild dolphin that had a fishnet stuck on him go to a diver for help. That is active thinking that also requires the intuition to know the diver is equally intelligent. It takes intelligence to recognize intelligence.

[gamerking]

Jotaro: Gosh i wish Dolphins Were real

[nikkilarsen]

That photo of the Dusky Dolphins with the bird and penguin 🐧 was an absolutely incredible photo

[aaliyahschoice]

I love dolphins I feel like they are so magical.

[mrrobot]

I think the utmost important thing here to note is the fact that Dolphin captivity is NOT ok. Seaworld and parks alike are not places these amazing animals should be. Their intelligence is off the charts and they live their lives not all that dissimilar to ours. This goes for animals in general, but the dolphin species does an amazing job to make it obvious where they belong.

[tb]

If reincarnation is real, part of me wants to believe that we are reincarnated as dolphins and that's why they have such a unique relationship with us. They can't speak the same language they did in their former life, so they do their best with their current abilities. They play like we do. Socialize like we do. Form families like we do. They seem just as interested to communicate with us as we are with them. It's seriously mind blowing stuff. To me they are more magical than the sheer idea of creatures like mermaids possibly existing. I am really so obsessed with them xD

[no-]

So a lady who has a universal dolphin translator. Sweet!

[DarthT]

But can they tell us why kids love the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch?

[jc]

Also they can translate emotions verbally with this echo location. It is absolutely mind blowing when you think about it.