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Dolphin
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Dolphinsareawidelydistributedanddiversegroupofaquatic
mammals.Theyareaninformalgroupingwithintheorder
Cetacea,excludingwhalesandporpoises,sotozoologiststhe
groupingisparaphyletic.Thedolphinscomprisetheextant
familiesDelphinidae(theoceanicdolphins),Platanistidae(the
Indianriverdolphins),Iniidae(thenewworldriverdolphins),
andPontoporiidae(thebrackishdolphins).Thereare40extant
speciesofdolphins.Dolphins,alongsideothercetaceans,
belongtothecladeCetartiodactylawitheventoedungulates.
Theirclosestlivingrelativesarethehippopotamuses,having
divergedabout40millionyearsago.
Dolphinsrangeinsizefromthe1.7m(5.6ft)longand50kg
(110lb)Maui'sdolphintothe9.5m(31ft)and10t(11short
tons)killerwhale.Severalspeciesexhibitsexualdimorphism,
inthatthemalesarelargerthanfemales.Theyhavestreamlined
bodiesandtwolimbsthataremodifiedintoflippers.Though
notquiteasflexibleasseals,somedolphinscantravelat
55.5km/h(34.5mph).Dolphinsusetheirconicalshapedteeth
tocapturefastmovingprey.Theyhavewelldevelopedhearing
theirhearing,whichisadaptedforbothairandwater,isso
welldevelopedthatsomecansurviveeveniftheyareblind.
Somespeciesarewelladaptedfordivingtogreatdepths.They
havealayeroffat,orblubber,undertheskintokeepwarmin
thecoldwater.
Althoughdolphinsarewidespread,mostspeciespreferthe
warmerwatersofthetropiczones,butsome,liketheright
whaledolphin,prefercolderclimates.Dolphinsfeedlargelyon
fishandsquid,butafew,likethekillerwhale,feedonlarge
mammals,likeseals.Maledolphinstypicallymatewith
multiplefemaleseveryyear,butfemalesonlymateeverytwo
tothreeyears.Calvesaretypicallyborninthespringand
summermonthsandfemalesbearalltheresponsibilityfor
raisingthem.Mothersofsomespeciesfastandnursetheir
youngforarelativelylongperiodoftime.Dolphinsproducea
varietyofvocalizations,usuallyintheformofclicksand
whistles.

Dolphins
Dolphinsareaninformalgroupingoftheinfraorder
Cetacea

Bottlenosedolphin
Information
Classificationof
Cetacea

Families
thought
ofasdolphins

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Cetartiodactyla
Clade:
Cetancodontamorpha
Suborder:Whippomorpha
Infraorder:Cetacea

Delphinidae
Iniidae
Lipotidae
Platanistidae
Pontoporiidae

DolphinsaresometimeshuntedinplaceslikeJapan,inanactivityknownasdolphindrivehunting.Besidesdrive
hunting,theyalsofacethreatsfrombycatch,habitatloss,andmarinepollution.Dolphinshavebeendepictedin
variousculturesworldwide.Dolphinsoccasionallyfeatureinliteratureandfilm,asinthefilmseriesFreeWilly.
Dolphinsaresometimeskeptincaptivityandtrainedtoperformtricks,butbreedingsuccesshasbeenpoorandthe
animalsoftendiewithinafewmonthsofcapture.Themostcommondolphinskeptarekillerwhalesandbottlenose
dolphins.

Contents

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Contents
1 Etymology
2 Taxonomy
2.1 Hybridization
3 Evolution
4 Biology
4.1 Anatomy
4.2 Locomotion
4.3 Senses
5 Behavior
5.1 Socialbehavior
5.2 Reproductionandsexuality
5.3 Feeding
5.4 Vocalizations
5.5 Jumpingandplaying
5.6 Intelligence
5.7 Sleeping
6 Threats
6.1 Naturalthreats
6.2 Humanthreats
7 Relationshipswithhumans
7.1 Inhistoryandreligion
7.2 Incaptivity
7.2.1 Species
7.2.2 Controversy
7.2.3 Military
7.2.4 Therapy
7.3 Consumption
7.3.1 Cuisine
7.3.2 Healthconcerns
8 Seealso
9 References
10 Furtherreading
11 Externallinks

Etymology
ThenameisoriginallyfromGreek(delphs),"dolphin",[1]whichwasrelatedtotheGreek(delphus),
"womb".[1]Theanimal'snamecanthereforebeinterpretedasmeaning"a'fish'withawomb".[2]Thenamewas
transmittedviatheLatindelphinus[3](theromanizationofthelaterGreekdelphinos[1]),whichin
MedievalLatinbecamedolfinusandinOldFrenchdaulphin,whichreintroducedthephintotheword.Theterm
mereswine(thatis,"seapig")hasalsohistoricallybeenused.[4]
Theterm'dolphin'canbeusedtoreferto,undertheparvorderOdontoceti,allthespeciesinthefamilyDelphinidae
(oceanicdolphins)andtheriverdolphinfamiliesIniidae(SouthAmericanriverdolphins),Pontoporiidae(LaPlata
dolphin),Lipotidae(Yangtzeriverdolphin)andPlatanistidae(GangesriverdolphinandIndusriverdolphin).[5][6]
ThistermhasoftenbeenmisusedintheUS,mainlyinthefishingindustry,whereallsmallcetaceans(dolphinsand
porpoises)areconsideredporpoises,[7]whilethefishdoradoiscalleddolphinfish.[8]Incommonusagetheterm
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'whale'isusedonlyforthelargercetaceanspecies,[9]whilethesmalleroneswithabeakedorlongernoseare
considered'dolphins'.[10]Thename'dolphin'isusedcasuallyasasynonymforbottlenosedolphin,themost
commonandfamiliarspeciesofdolphin.[11]Therearesixspeciesofdolphinscommonlythoughtofaswhales,
collectivelyknownasblackfish:thekillerwhale,themelonheadedwhale,thepygmykillerwhale,thefalsekiller
whale,andthetwospeciesofpilotwhales,allofwhichareclassifiedunderthefamilyDelphinidaeandqualifyas
dolphins.[12]Thoughtheterms'dolphin'and'porpoise'aresometimesusedinterchangeably,porpoisesarenot
considereddolphinsandhavedifferentphysicalfeaturessuchasashorterbeakandspadeshapedteeththeyalso
differintheirbehavior.PorpoisesbelongtothefamilyPhocoenidaeandshareacommonancestrywiththe
Delphinidae.[11]
Agroupofdolphinsiscalleda"school"ora"pod".Maledolphinsarecalled"bulls",females"cows"andyoung
dolphinsarecalled"calves".[13]

Taxonomy
ParvorderOdontoceti,toothedwhales
FamilyPlatanistidae
GangesandIndusriverdolphin,Platanistagangeticawithtwosubspecies
Gangesriverdolphin(orSusu),Platanistagangeticagangetica
Indusriverdolphin(orBhulan),Platanistagangeticaminor
FamilyIniidae
Amazonriverdolphin(orBoto),Iniageoffrensis
Orinocoriverdolphin(theOrinocosubspecies),Iniageoffrensishumboldtiana
Araguaianriverdolphin(Araguaianboto),IniaAraguaiaensis
Bolivianriverdolphin,Iniaboliviensis
FamilyLipotidae
Baiji(orChineseriverdolphin),Lipotesvexillifer(possiblyextinct,sinceDecember2006)
FamilyPontoporiidae
LaPlatadolphin(orFranciscana),Pontoporiablainvillei
FamilyDelphinidae,oceanicdolphins
GenusDelphinus
Longbeakedcommondolphin,Delphinuscapensis
Shortbeakedcommondolphin,Delphinusdelphis
GenusTursiops
Commonbottlenosedolphin,Tursiopstruncatus
IndoPacificbottlenosedolphin,Tursiopsaduncus
Burrunandolphin,Tursiopsaustralis,anewlydiscoveredspeciesfromtheseaaround
MelbourneinSeptember2011.[14]
GenusLissodelphis
Northernrightwhaledolphin,Lissodelphisborealis
Southernrightwhaledolphin,Lissodelphisperonii
GenusSotalia
Tucuxi,Sotaliafluviatilis
Costero,Sotaliaguianensis
GenusSousa
IndoPacifichumpbackdolphin,Sousachinensis
Chinesewhitedolphin(theChinesevariant),Sousachinensischinensis
Atlantichumpbackdolphin,Sousateuszii
GenusStenella
Atlanticspotteddolphin,Stenellafrontalis
Clymenedolphin,Stenellaclymene
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Pantropicalspotteddolphin,Stenellaattenuata
Spinnerdolphin,Stenellalongirostris
Stripeddolphin,Stenellacoeruleoalba
GenusSteno
Roughtootheddolphin,Stenobredanensis
GenusCephalorhynchus
Chileandolphin,Cephalorhynchuseutropia
Commerson'sdolphin,Cephalorhynchus
commersonii
Haviside'sdolphin,Cephalorhynchusheavisidii
Hector'sdolphin,Cephalorhynchushectori
GenusGrampus
Risso'sdolphin,Grampusgriseus
GenusLagenodelphis
Fraser'sdolphin,Lagenodelphishosei
GenusLagenorhynchus
Atlanticwhitesideddolphin,Lagenorhynchusacutus
Duskydolphin,Lagenorhynchusobscurus
Hourglassdolphin,Lagenorhynchuscruciger
Pacificwhitesideddolphin,Lagenorhynchus
obliquidens
Peale'sdolphin,Lagenorhynchusaustralis
Whitebeakeddolphin,Lagenorhynchusalbirostris
GenusOrcaella
Australiansnubfindolphin,Orcaellaheinsohni
Irrawaddydolphin,Orcaellabrevirostris
GenusPeponocephala
Melonheadedwhale,Peponocephalaelectra
GenusOrcinus
Killerwhale(Orca),Orcinusorca
GenusFeresa
Pygmykillerwhale,Feresaattenuata
GenusPseudorca
Falsekillerwhale,Pseudorcacrassidens
GenusGlobicephala
Longfinnedpilotwhale,Globicephalamelas
Shortfinnedpilotwhale,Globicephala
macrorhynchus
GenusAustralodelphis
Australodelphismirus
SixspeciesinthefamilyDelphinidaearecommonlycalled"whales",
butgeneticallyaredolphins.Theyaresometimescalledblackfish.
Melonheadedwhale,Peponocephalaelectra
Killerwhale(Orca),Orcinusorca
Pygmykillerwhale,Feresaattenuata
Falsekillerwhale,Pseudorcacrassidens
Longfinnedpilotwhale,Globicephalamelas
Shortfinnedpilotwhale,Globicephalamacrorhynchus

Commondolphin

Bottlenosedolphin

Spotteddolphin

Atlanticspotteddolphin

Commerson'sdolphin

Duskydolphin

Hybridization

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In1933,threestrangedolphinsbeachedofftheIrishcoasttheyappearedtobe
hybridsbetweenRisso'sandbottlenosedolphins.[15]Thismatingwaslater
repeatedincaptivity,producingahybridcalf.Incaptivity,abottlenoseanda
roughtootheddolphinproducedhybridoffspring.[16]Acommonbottlenose
hybridlivesatSeaWorldCalifornia.[17]Otherdolphinhybridsliveincaptivity
aroundtheworldorhavebeenreportedinthewild,suchasabottlenose
Atlanticspottedhybrid.[18]Thebestknownhybridisthewolphin,afalse
killerwhalebottlenosedolphinhybrid.Thewolphinisafertilehybrid.Two
wolphinscurrentlyliveattheSeaLifeParkinHawaiithefirstwasbornin
1985fromamalefalsekillerwhaleandafemalebottlenose.Wolphinshave
alsobeenobservedinthewild.[19]

Killerwhale

Evolution
Dolphinsaredescendantsoflanddwellingmammalsoftheartiodactylorder
(eventoedungulates).TheyarerelatedtotheIndohyus,anextinctchevrotain
likeungulate,fromwhichtheysplitapproximately48millionyearsago.[20][21]
Theprimitivecetaceans,orarchaeocetes,firsttooktothesea
approximately49millionyearsagoandbecamefullyaquaticby510
millionyearslater.[22]

Amazonriverdolphin

Archaeocetiisaparvordercomprisingancientwhales.Theseancient
whalesarethepredecessorsofmodernwhales,stretchingbacktotheirfirst
ancestorthatspenttheirlivesnear(rarelyin)thewater.Likewise,the
archaeocetescanbeanywherefromnearfullyterrestrial,tosemiaquaticto
fullyaquatic,butwhatdefinesanarchaeoceteisthepresenceofvisiblelegs
Dolphinsdisplayconvergent
orasymmetricalteeth.[23][24][25][26]Theirfeaturesbecameadaptedforliving
evolutionwithfishandaquatic
inthemarineenvironment.Majoranatomicalchangesincludethehearing
reptiles
setupthatchanneledvibrationsfromthejawtotheearbonewhich
occurredwithAmbulocetus49millionyearsago,astreamliningofthebody
andthegrowthofflukesonthetailwhichoccurredaround43millionyearsagowithProtocetus,themigrationof
thenasalopeningstowardthetopofthecraniumandthemodificationoftheforelimbsintoflipperswhich
occurredwithBasilosaurus35millionyearsago,andtheshrinkingandeventualdisappearanceofthehindlimbs
whichtookplacewiththefirstodontocetesandmysticetes34millionyearsago.[27][28][29]Themoderndolphin
skeletonhastwosmall,rodshapedpelvicbonesthoughttobevestigialhindlimbs.InOctober2006,anunusual
bottlenosedolphinwascapturedinJapanithadsmallfinsoneachsideofitsgenitalslit,whichscientistsbelieve
tobeanunusuallypronounceddevelopmentofthesevestigialhindlimbs.[30]
Today,theclosestlivingrelativesofcetaceansarethehippopotamusestheseshareasemiaquaticancestorthat
branchedofffromotherartiodactylssome60millionyearsago.[31]Around40millionyearsago,acommon
ancestorbetweenthetwobranchedoffintocetaceaandanthracotheresanthracotheresbecameextinctattheendof
thePleistocenetwoandahalfmillionyearsago,eventuallyleavingonlyonesurvivinglineage:thehippo.[32][33]

Biology
Anatomy
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Dolphinshavetorpedoshapedbodieswithgenerallynon
flexiblenecks,limbsmodifiedintoflippers,nonexistent
externalearflaps,atailfin,andbulbousheads.Dolphinskulls
havesmalleyeorbits,longsnouts,andeyesplacedonthesides
ofitshead.Dolphinsrangeinsizefromthe1.7metres(5.6ft)
longand50kilograms(110lb)Maui'sdolphintothe9.5
metres(31ft)and10metrictons(11shorttons)killerwhale.
Overall,however,theytendtobedwarfedbyother
Cetartiodactyls.Severalspecieshavefemalebiasedsexual
dimorphism,withthefemalesbeinglargerthanthe
males.[34][35]

Theanatomyofadolphinshowingitsskeleton,
majororgans,tailandbodyshape

Dolphinshaveconicalshapeteeth,asapposedtotheir
counterparts,porpoise's,spadeshapedteeth.Theseconical
teethareusedtocatchswiftpreysuchasfish,squidorlargemammals,suchasseal.[35]

Breathinginvolvesexpellingstaleairfromtheirblowhole,forminganupward,steamyspout,followedbyinhaling
freshairintothelungs,howeverthisonlyoccursinthepolarregionsoftheoceans.Dolphinshaverathersmall,
unidentifiablespouts.[35][36]
Alldolphinshaveathicklayerofblubber,thicknessvaryingonclimate.Thisblubbercanhelpwithbuoyancy,
protectiontosomeextentaspredatorswouldhaveahardtimegettingthroughathicklayeroffat,andenergyfor
leanertimestheprimaryusageforblubberisinsulationfromtheharshclimate.Calves,generally,arebornwitha
thinlayerofblubber,whichdevelopsatdifferentpacesdependingonthehabitat.[35][37]
Dolphinshaveatwochamberedstomachthatissimilarinstructuretoterrestrialcarnivores.Theyhavefundicand
pyloricchambers.[38]

Locomotion
Dolphinshavetwoflippersontheundersidetowardthehead,adorsalfinandatailfin.Theseflipperscontainfour
digits.Althoughdolphinsdonotpossessfullydevelopedhindlimbs,somepossessdiscreterudimentary
appendages,whichmaycontainfeetanddigits.Dolphinsarefastswimmersincomparisontosealswhotypically
cruiseat928kilometresperhour(5.617.4mph)thekillerwhale,incomparison,cantravelatspeedsupto55.5
kilometresperhour(34.5mph).Thefusingoftheneckvertebrae,whileincreasingstabilitywhenswimmingat
highspeeds,decreasesflexibility,whichmeanstheyareunabletoturntheirheads.[39][40]Riverdolphins,however,
havenonfusedneckvertebraeandareabletoturntheirheadupto90.[41]Dolphinsswimbymovingtheirtailfin
andrearbodyvertically,whiletheirflippersaremainlyusedforsteering.Somespecieslogoutofthewater,which
mayallowthemtotravelfaster.Theirskeletalanatomyallowsthemtobefastswimmers.Allspecieshaveadorsal
fintopreventthemselvesfrominvoluntarilyspinninginthewater.[35][37]
Somedolphinsareadaptedfordivingtogreatdepths.Inadditiontotheirstreamlinedbodies,somecanslowtheir
heartratetoconserveoxygen.Somecanalsoreroutebloodfromtissuetolerantofwaterpressuretotheheart,
brainandotherorgans.Theirhemoglobinandmyoglobinstoreoxygeninbodytissuesandtheyhavetwicethe
concentrationofmyoglobinthanhemoglobin.[42][43]

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Thedolphinearhasspecificadaptationstothemarineenvironment.In
humans,themiddleearworksasanimpedanceequalizerbetweenthe
outsideair'slowimpedanceandthecochlearfluid'shighimpedance.In
dolphins,andothermarinemammals,thereisnogreatdifferencebetween
theouterandinnerenvironments.Insteadofsoundpassingthroughthe
outereartothemiddleear,dolphinsreceivesoundthroughthethroat,from
Biosonarbycetaceans
whichitpassesthroughalowimpedancefatfilledcavitytotheinnerear.
Thedolphinearisacousticallyisolatedfromtheskullbyair
filledsinuspockets,whichallowforgreaterdirectionalhearing
underwater.[44]Dolphinssendouthighfrequencyclicksfroman
organknownasamelon.Thismelonconsistsoffat,andthe
skullofanysuchcreaturecontainingamelonwillhavealarge
depression.Thisallowsdolphinstoproducebiosonarfor
orientation.[35][45][46][47][48]Thoughmostdolphinsdonothave
hair,theydohavehairfolliclesthatmayperformsomesensory
function.[49]Beyondlocatinganobject,echolocationalso
providestheanimalwithanideaonanobject'sshapeandsize,thoughhowexactlythisworksisnotyet
understood.[50]Thesmallhairsontherostrumofthebotoarebelievedtofunctionasatactilesense,possiblyto
compensatefortheboto'spooreyesight.[51]
Thedolphineyeisrelativelysmallforitssize,yettheydoretainagooddegreeofeyesight.Aswellasthis,the
eyesofadolphinareplacedonthesidesofitshead,sotheirvisionconsistsoftwofields,ratherthanabinocular
viewlikehumanshave.Whendolphinssurface,theirlensandcorneacorrectthenearsightednessthatresultsfrom
therefractionoflighttheycontainbothrodandconecells,meaningtheycanseeinbothdimandbrightlight,but
theyhavefarmorerodcellsthantheydoconecells.Dolphinsdo,however,lackshortwavelengthsensitivevisual
pigmentsintheirconecellsindicatingamorelimitedcapacityforcolorvisionthanmostmammals.[52]Most
dolphinshaveslightlyflattenedeyeballs,enlargedpupils(whichshrinkastheysurfacetopreventdamage),slightly
flattenedcorneasandatapetumlucidumtheseadaptationsallowforlargeamountsoflighttopassthroughtheeye
and,therefore,averyclearimageofthesurroundingarea.Theyalsohaveglandsontheeyelidsandoutercorneal
layerthatactasprotectionforthecornea.[45]
Theolfactorylobesareabsentindolphins,suggestingthattheyhavenosenseofsmell.[45]
Dolphinsarenotthoughttohaveagoodsenseoftaste,astheirtastebudsareatrophiedormissingaltogether.
However,somehavepreferencesbetweendifferentkindsoffish,indicatingsomesortofattachmenttotaste.[45]

Behavior
DolphinsareoftenregardedasoneofEarth'smostintelligentanimals,thoughitishardtosayjusthowintelligent.
Comparingspecies'relativeintelligenceiscomplicatedbydifferencesinsensoryapparatus,responsemodes,and
natureofcognition.Furthermore,thedifficultyandexpenseofexperimentalworkwithlargeaquaticanimalshas
sofarpreventedsometestsandlimitedsamplesizeandrigorinothers.Comparedtomanyotherspecies,however,
dolphinbehaviorhasbeenstudiedextensively,bothincaptivityandinthewild.Seecetaceanintelligenceformore
details.

Socialbehavior

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Dolphinsarehighlysocialanimals,oftenlivinginpodsofuptoadozen
individuals,thoughpodsizesandstructuresvarygreatlybetweenspecies
andlocations.Inplaceswithahighabundanceoffood,podscanmerge
temporarily,formingasuperpodsuchgroupingsmayexceed1,000
dolphins.Membershipinpodsisnotrigidinterchangeiscommon.
Dolphinscan,however,establishstrongsocialbondstheywillstaywith
injuredorillindividuals,evenhelpingthemtobreathebybringingthemto
thesurfaceifneeded.[53]Thisaltruismdoesnotappeartobelimitedtotheir
ownspecies.ThedolphinMokoinNewZealandhasbeenobservedguiding
afemalePygmySpermWhaletogetherwithhercalfoutofshallowwater
wheretheyhadstrandedseveraltimes.[54]Theyhavealsobeenseen
protectingswimmersfromsharksbyswimmingcirclesaroundthe
swimmers[55][56]orchargingthesharkstomakethemgoaway.

ApodofIndoPacificbottlenose
dolphinsintheRedSea

Dolphinscommunicateusingavarietyofclicks,whistlelikesoundsand
othervocalizations.Dolphinsalsousenonverbalcommunicationbymeans
oftouchandposturing.[57]
Dolphinsalsodisplayculture,somethinglongbelievedtobeuniqueto
humans(andpossiblyotherprimatespecies).InMay2005,adiscoveryin
AustraliafoundIndoPacificbottlenosedolphins(Tursiopsaduncus)
teachingtheiryoungtousetools.Theycovertheirsnoutswithspongesto
protectthemwhileforaging.Thisknowledgeismostlytransferredby
motherstodaughters,unlikesimianprimates,whereknowledgeis
generallypassedontobothsexes.Usingspongesasmouthprotectionisa
learnedbehavior.[58]Anotherlearnedbehaviorwasdiscoveredamongriver
dolphinsinBrazil,wheresomemaledolphinsuseweedsandsticksaspart
ofasexualdisplay.[59]
DolphinssurfingatSnapperRocks,

Formsofcaregivingbetweenfellowsandevenformembersofdifferent
Queensland,Australia
[60]
species (seeMoko(dolphin))arerecordedinvariousspeciessuchas
tryingtosaveweakenedfellows[61]orfemalepilotwhalesholdingupdeadcalvesforlongperiods.

Dolphinsengageinactsofaggressiontowardseachother.Theolderamaledolphinis,themorelikelyhisbodyis
tobecoveredwithbitescars.Maledolphinsengageinactsofaggressionapparentlyforthesamereasonsas
humans:disputesbetweencompanionsandcompetitionforfemales.Actsofaggressioncanbecomesointensethat
targeteddolphinssometimesgointoexileafterlosingafight.
Malebottlenosedolphinshavebeenknowntoengageininfanticide.Dolphinshavealsobeenknowntokill
porpoisesforreasonswhicharenotfullyunderstood,asporpoisesgenerallydonotsharethesamedietasdolphins
andarethereforenotcompetitorsforfoodsupplies.[62]

Reproductionandsexuality
Dolphins'reproductiveorgansarelocatedontheundersideofthebody.Maleshavetwoslits,oneconcealingthe
penisandonefurtherbehindfortheanus.[63]Thefemalehasonegenitalslit,housingthevaginaandtheanus.Two
mammaryslitsarepositionedoneithersideofthefemale'sgenitalslit.[64][65][66]

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Dolphincopulationhappensbellytobellythoughmanyspeciesengagein
lengthyforeplay,theactualactisusuallybrief,butmayberepeatedseveral
timeswithinashorttimespan.[67]Thegestationperiodvarieswithspecies
forthesmallTucuxidolphin,thisperiodisaround11to12months,[68]
whilefortheorca,thegestationperiodisaround17months.[69]Typically
dolphinsgivebirthtoasinglecalf,whichis,unlikemostothermammals,
borntailfirstinmostcases.[70]Theyusuallybecomesexuallyactiveata
youngage,evenbeforereachingsexualmaturity.[67]Theageofsexual

maturityvariesbyspeciesandgender.[71]
Dolphinsareknowntodisplaynonreproductivesexualbehavior,engaginginmasturbation,stimulationofthe
genitalareaofotherindividualsusingtherostrumorflippers,andhomosexualcontact.[67][72][73]
Maledolphinshavebeenknowntomasturbatebywrappingaliveeelaroundtheirpenis.[74]
Variousspeciesofdolphinhavebeenknowntoengageinsexualbehavioruptoandincludingcopulationwith
dolphinsofotherspecies.Sexualencountersmaybeviolent,withmaledolphinssometimesshowingaggressive
behaviortowardsbothfemalesandothermales.[75]Maledolphinsmayalsoworktogetherandattempttoherd
femalesinestrus,keepingthefemalesbytheirsidebymeansofbothphysicalaggressionandintimidation,to
increasetheirchancesofreproductivesuccess.[76]Occasionally,dolphinsbehavesexuallytowardsotheranimals,
includinghumans.[77][78]

Feeding
Variousmethodsoffeedingexistamongandwithinspecies,someapparentlyexclusivetoasinglepopulation.Fish
andsquidarethemainfood,butthefalsekillerwhaleandtheorcaalsofeedonothermarinemammals.Orcason
occasionalsohuntwhalespecieslargerthanthemselves.[79]
Onecommonfeedingmethodisherding,whereapodsqueezesaschooloffishintoasmallvolume,knownasa
baitball.Individualmembersthentaketurnsplowingthroughtheball,feedingonthestunnedfish.[79]Corallingis
amethodwheredolphinschasefishintoshallowwatertocatchthemmoreeasily.[79]Orcasandbottlenose
dolphinshavealsobeenknowntodrivetheirpreyontoabeachtofeedonit,abehaviourknownasbeachorstrand
feeding.[80][81]Somespeciesalsowhackfishwiththeirflukes,stunningthemandsometimesknockingthemoutof
thewater.[79]
ReportsofcooperativehumandolphinfishingdatebacktotheancientRomanauthorandnaturalphilosopherPliny
theElder.[82]AmodernhumandolphinpartnershipcurrentlyoperatesinLaguna,SantaCatarina,Brazil.Here,
dolphinsdrivefishtowardsfishermenwaitingalongtheshoreandsignalthementocasttheirnets.Thedolphins'
rewardisthefishthatescapethenets.[83][84]

Vocalizations
Dolphinsarecapableofmakingabroadrangeofsoundsusingnasalairsacslocatedjustbelowtheblowhole.
Roughlythreecategoriesofsoundscanbeidentified:frequencymodulatedwhistles,burstpulsedsoundsand
clicks.Dolphinscommunicatewithwhistlelikesoundsproducedbyvibratingconnectivetissue,similartotheway
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known.Theclicksaredirectionalandareforecholocation,
oftenoccurringinashortseriescalledaclicktrain.Theclick
rateincreaseswhenapproachinganobjectofinterest.Dolphin
echolocationclicksareamongsttheloudestsoundsmadeby
marineanimals.[86]
Bottlenosedolphinshavebeenfoundtohavesignature
whistles,awhistlethatisuniquetoaspecificindividual.These
whistlesareusedinorderfordolphinstocommunicatewith
oneanotherbyidentifyinganindividual.Itcanbeseenasthe
dolphinequivalentofanameforhumans.[87]Thesesignature
whistlesaredevelopedduringadolphin'sfirstyearit
continuestomaintainthesamesoundthroughoutits
Spectrogramofdolphinvocalizations.Whistles,
lifetime.[88]Inordertoobtaineachindividualwhistlesound,
whines,andclicksarevisibleasupsidedownV's,
dolphinsundergovocalproductionlearning.Thisconsistsof
horizontalstriations,andverticallines,respectively.
anexperiencewithotherdolphinsthatmodifiesthesignal
structureofanexistingwhistlesound.Anauditoryexperience
influencesthewhistledevelopmentofeachdolphin.Dolphinsareabletocommunicatetooneanotherby
addressinganotherdolphinthroughmimickingtheirwhistle.Thesignaturewhistleofamalebottlenosedolphin
tendstobesimilartothatofhismother,whilethesignaturewhistleofafemalebottlenosedolphintendstobe
moredistinguishing.[89]Bottlenosedolphinshaveastrongmemorywhenitcomestothesesignaturewhistles,as
theyareabletorelatetoasignaturewhistleofanindividualtheyhavenotencounteredforovertwentyyears.[90]
Researchdoneonsignaturewhistleusagebyotherdolphinspeciesisrelativelylimited.Theresearchonother
speciesdonesofarhasyieldedvariedoutcomesandinconclusiveresults.[91][92][93][94]
Becausedolphinsaregenerallyassociatedingroups,communicationisnecessary.Signalmaskingiswhenother
similarsounds(conspecificsounds)interferewiththeoriginalacousticsound.[95]Inlargergroups,individual
whistlesoundsarelessprominent.Dolphinstendtotravelinpods,uponwhichtherearegroupsofdolphinsthat
rangefromafewtomany.Althoughtheyaretravelinginthesepods,thedolphinsdonotnecessarilyswimright
nexttoeachother.Rather,theyswimwithinthesamegeneralvicinity.Inordertopreventlosingoneoftheirpod
members,therearehigherwhistlerates.Becausetheirgroupmemberswerespreadout,thiswasdoneinorderto
continuetravelingtogether.

Jumpingandplaying
Dolphinsfrequentlyleapabovethewatersurface,thisbeingdonefor
variousreasons.Whentravelling,jumpingcansavethedolphinenergyas
thereislessfrictionwhileintheair.[96]Thistypeoftravelisknownas
porpoising.[96]Otherreasonsincludeorientation,socialdisplays,fighting,
nonverbalcommunication,entertainmentandattemptingtodislodge
parasites.[97][98]
Dolphinsshowvarioustypesofplayfulbehavior,oftenincludingobjects,
selfmadebubblerings,otherdolphinsorotheranimals.[6][99][100]When
playingwithobjectsorsmallanimals,commonbehaviorincludescarrying
theobjectoranimalalongusingvariouspartsofthebody,passingitalong
toothermembersofthegrouportakingitfromanothermember,orthrowingitoutofthewater.[99]Dolphinshave
alsobeenobservedharassinganimalsinotherways,forexamplebydraggingbirdsunderwaterwithoutshowing
anyintenttoeatthem.[99]Playfulbehaviourthatinvolvesanotheranimalspecieswithactiveparticipationofthe
Pacificwhitesideddolphins
porpoising

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otheranimalcanalsobeobservedhowever.Playfulhumaninteractionwithdolphinsbeingthemostobvious
example,howeverplayfulinteractionshavebeenobservedinthewildwithanumberofotherspeciesaswell,such
ashumpbackwhalesanddogs.[101][102]

Intelligence
Dolphinsareknowntoteach,learn,cooperate,scheme,andgrieve.[103]Theneocortexofmanyspeciesishometo
elongatedspindleneuronsthat,priorto2007,wereknownonlyinhominids.[104]Inhumans,thesecellsare
involvedinsocialconduct,emotions,judgment,andtheoryofmind.[105]Cetaceanspindleneuronsarefoundin
areasofthebrainthatarehomologoustowheretheyarefoundinhumans,suggestingthattheyperformasimilar
function.[106]
Brainsizewaspreviouslyconsideredamajorindicatoroftheintelligenceofananimal.Sincemostofthebrainis
usedformaintainingbodilyfunctions,greaterratiosofbraintobodymassmayincreasetheamountofbrainmass
availableformorecomplexcognitivetasks.Allometricanalysisindicatesthatmammalianbrainsizescalesat
approximatelytheorexponentofthebodymass.[107]Comparisonofaparticularanimal'sbrainsizewiththe
expectedbrainsizebasedonsuchallometricanalysisprovidesanencephalizationquotientthatcanbeusedas
anotherindicationofanimalintelligence.Killerwhaleshavethesecondlargestbrainmassofanyanimalonearth,
nexttothespermwhale.[108]Thebraintobodymassratioinsomeissecondonlytohumans.[109]
Selfawarenessisseen,bysome,tobeasignofhighlydeveloped,abstractthinking.Selfawareness,thoughnot
welldefinedscientifically,isbelievedtobetheprecursortomoreadvancedprocesseslikemetacognitive
reasoning(thinkingaboutthinking)thataretypicalofhumans.Researchinthisfieldhassuggestedthatcetaceans,
amongothers,possessselfawareness.[110]Themostwidelyusedtestforselfawarenessinanimalsisthemirror
testinwhichatemporarydyeisplacedonananimal'sbody,andtheanimalisthenpresentedwithamirrorthey
thenseeiftheanimalshowssignsofselfrecognition.[111]
Somedisagreewiththesefindings,arguingthattheresultsofthesetestsareopentohumaninterpretationand
susceptibletotheCleverHanseffect.Thistestismuchlessdefinitivethanwhenusedforprimates,because
primatescantouchthemarkorthemirror,whilecetaceanscannot,makingtheirallegedselfrecognitionbehavior
lesscertain.Skepticsarguethatbehaviorsthataresaidtoidentifyselfawarenessresembleexistingsocial
behaviors,andsoresearcherscouldbemisinterpretingselfawarenessforsocialresponsestoanotherindividual.
Theresearcherscounterarguethatthebehaviorsshownareevidenceofselfawareness,astheyareverydifferent
fromnormalresponsestoanotherindividual.Whereasapescanmerelytouchthemarkonthemselveswiththeir
fingers,cetaceansshowlessdefinitivebehaviorofselfawarenesstheycanonlytwistandturnthemselvesto
observethemark.[111]
In1995,MartenandPsarakosusedtelevisiontotestdolphinselfawareness.[112]Theyshoweddolphinsrealtime
footageofthemselves,recordedfootage,andanotherdolphin.Theyconcludedthattheirevidencesuggestedself
awarenessratherthansocialbehavior.Whilethisparticularstudyhasnotbeenrepeatedsincethen,dolphinshave
sincepassedthemirrortest.[111]

Sleeping
Generally,dolphinssleepwithonlyonebrainhemisphereinslowwavesleepatatime,thusmaintainingenough
consciousnesstobreatheandtowatchforpossiblepredatorsandotherthreats.Earliersleepstagescanoccur
simultaneouslyinbothhemispheres.[113][114][115]Incaptivity,dolphinsseeminglyenterafullyasleepstatewhere
botheyesareclosedandthereisnoresponsetomildexternalstimuli.Inthiscase,respirationisautomaticatail
kickreflexkeepstheblowholeabovethewaterifnecessary.Anesthetizeddolphinsinitiallyshowatailkick
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reflex.[116]Thoughasimilarstatehasbeenobservedwithwildsperm
whales,itisnotknownifdolphinsinthewildreachthisstate.[117]The
Indusriverdolphinhasasleepmethodthatisdifferentfromthatofother
dolphinspecies.Livinginwaterwithstrongcurrentsandpotentially
dangerousfloatingdebris,itmustswimcontinuouslytoavoidinjury.Asa
result,thisspeciessleepsinveryshortburstswhichlastbetween4and
60seconds.[118]

Threats
Naturalthreats
Dolphinshavefewnaturalenemies.Somespeciesorspecificpopulations
havenone,makingthemapexpredators.Formostofthesmallerspeciesof
dolphins,onlyafewofthelargersharks,suchasthebullshark,dusky
shark,tigersharkandgreatwhiteshark,areapotentialrisk,especiallyfor
calves.[119]Someofthelargerdolphinspecies,especiallyorcas(killer
whales),mayalsopreyonsmallerdolphins,butthisseemsrare.[120][121]
Dolphinsalsosufferfromawidevarietyofdiseasesandparasites.[122][123]
TheCetaceanmorbillivirusinparticularhasbeenknowntocauseregional
epizooticsoftenleavinghundredsofanimalsofvariousspecies
dead.[124][125]Symptomsofinfectionareoftenaseverecombinationof
pneumonia,encephalitisanddamagetotheimmunesystem,whichgreatly
impairthecetacean'sabilitytoswimandstayafloatunassisted.[126][127]A
studyattheU.S.NationalMarineMammalFoundationrevealedthat
dolphins,likehumans,developanaturalformoftype2diabeteswhichmay
leadtoabetterunderstandingofthediseaseandnewtreatmentsforboth
humansanddolphins.[128]

Sleepingdolphinincaptivity:atail
kickreflexkeepsthedolphin's
blowholeabovethewater

Lesionsinthedorsalfinofa
bottlenosedolphincausedby
lobomycosis,afungalinfectionofthe
skin

Dolphinscantolerateandrecoverfromextremeinjuriessuchassharkbitesalthoughtheexactmethodsusedto
achievethisarenotknown.Thehealingprocessisrapidandevenverydeepwoundsdonotcausedolphinsto
hemorrhagetodeath.Furthermore,evengapingwoundsrestoreinsuchawaythattheanimal'sbodyshapeis
restored,andinfectionofsuchlargewoundsseemsrare.[129]
Thestudy,publishedinthejournalMarineMammalScience,suggeststhatatleastsomedolphinsareuptothe
sharkchallengewithresearchfindingthatmanydolphinssurviveattacksusingeverythingfromsophisticated
combatmovestoteamingupagainsttheshark.[130]

Humanthreats
Somedolphinspeciesfaceanuncertainfuture,especiallysomeriverdolphinspeciessuchastheAmazonriver
dolphin,andtheGangesandYangtzeriverdolphin,whicharecriticallyorseriouslyendangered.A2006survey
foundnoindividualsoftheYangtzeriverdolphin,whichnowappearstobefunctionallyextinct.[131]
Pesticides,heavymetals,plastics,andotherindustrialandagriculturalpollutantsthatdonotdisintegraterapidlyin
theenvironmentconcentrateinpredatorssuchasdolphins.[132]Injuriesordeathsduetocollisionswithboats,
especiallytheirpropellers,arealsocommon.
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Variousfishingmethods,mostnotablypurseseinefishingfortunaandthe
useofdriftandgillnets,unintentionallykillmanydolphins.[133]Accidental
bycatchingillnetsandincidentalcapturesinantipredatornetsthatprotect
marinefishfarmsarecommonandposeariskformainlylocaldolphin
populations.[134][135]Insomepartsoftheworld,suchasTaijiinJapanand
theFaroeIslands,dolphinsaretraditionallyconsideredfoodandarekilled
inharpoonordrivehunts.[136]Dolphinmeatishighinmercuryandmay
thusposeahealthdangertohumanswhenconsumed.[137]

DeadAtlanticwhitesideddolphinsin
HvalbaontheFaroeIslands,killedin
adrivehunt

Dolphinsafelabelsattempttoreassureconsumersthatfishandother
marineproductshavebeencaughtinadolphinfriendlyway.Theearliest
campaignswith"Dolphinsafe"labelswereinitiatedinthe1980sasaresult
ofcooperationbetweenmarineactivistsandthemajortunacompanies,andinvolveddecreasingincidentaldolphin
killsbyupto50%bychangingthetypeofnetsusedtocatchtuna.Thedolphinsarenettedonlywhilefishermen
areinpursuitofsmallertuna.Albacorearenotnettedthisway,makingalbacoretheonlytrulydolphinsafe
tuna.[138]Loudunderwaternoises,suchasthoseresultingfromnavalsonaruse,livefiringexercises,andcertain
offshoreconstructionprojectssuchaswindfarms,maybeharmfultodolphins,increasingstress,damaging
hearing,andcausingdecompressionsicknessbyforcingthemtosurfacetooquicklytoescapethenoise.[139][140]
Dolphinsandothersmallercetaceansarealsohuntedinanactivityknownasdolphindrivehunting.Thisis
accomplishedbydrivingapodtogetherwithboatsandusuallyintoabayorontoabeach.Theirescapeis
preventedbyclosingofftheroutetotheoceanwithotherboatsornets.Dolphinsarehuntedthiswayinseveral
placesaroundtheworld,includingtheSolomonIslands,theFaroeIslands,Peru,andJapan,themostwellknown
practitionerofthismethod.Bynumbers,dolphinsaremostlyhuntedfortheirmeat,thoughsomeendupin
dolphinariums.Despitethecontroversialnatureofthehuntresultingininternationalcriticism,andthepossible
healthriskthattheoftenpollutedmeatcauses,thousandsofdolphinsarecaughtindrivehuntseachyear.

Relationshipswithhumans
Inhistoryandreligion
Dolphinshavelongplayedaroleinhumanculture.Dolphinsare
sometimesusedassymbols,forinstanceinheraldry.Whenheraldry
developedintheMiddleAges,notmuchwasknownaboutthebiologyof
thedolphinanditwasoftendepictedasasortoffish.Traditionally,the
styliseddolphinsinheraldrystillmaytakeafterthisnotion,sometimes
showingthedolphinskincoveredwithfishscales.
DolphinsarepresentinthecoatofarmsofAnguillaandthecoatofarmsof
Romania,[141]andthecoatofarmsofBarbadoshasadolphin
FrescoofDolphins,ca.1600BC,
supporter.[142]Awellknownhistoricalexampleofadolphininheraldry,
fromKnossos,Crete.
wasthearmsfortheformerprovinceoftheDauphininsouthernFrance,
fromwhichwerederivedthearmsandthetitleoftheDauphinofFrance,
theheirtotheformerthroneofFrance(thetitleliterallymeans"TheDolphinofFrance").
"Dolfin"wasthenameofanaristocraticfamilyinthemaritimeRepublicofVenice,whosemostprominent
memberwasthe13thCenturyDogeGiovanniDolfin.

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InGreekmyths,theywereseeninvariablyashelpersofhumankind.
DolphinsalsoseemtohavebeenimportanttotheMinoans,judgingby
artisticevidencefromtheruinedpalaceatKnossos.Dolphinsarecommon
inGreekmythology,andmanycoinsfromancientGreecehavebeenfound
whichfeatureaman,aboyoradeityridingonthebackofadolphin.[143]
TheAncientGreekswelcomeddolphinsspottingdolphinsridinginaship's
wakewasconsideredagoodomen.[144]Inbothancientandlaterart,Cupid
isoftenshownridingadolphin.AdolphinrescuedthepoetArionfrom
drowningandcarriedhimsafetoland,atCapeMatapan,apromontory
formingthesouthernmostpointofthePeloponnesus.Therewasatempleto
PoseidonandastatueofArionridingthedolphin.[145]

Vesselinformofkillerwhale,Nazca
culture,circa200AD.American
MuseumofNaturalHistory
collections.

TheGreeksreimaginedthePhoeniciangodMelqartasMelikerts
(Melicertes)andmadehimthesonofAthamasandIno.Hedrownedbut
wastransfiguredasthemarinedeityPalaemon,whilehismotherbecame
Leucothea.(cfIno.)AtCorinth,hewassocloselyconnectedwiththecultofPoseidonthattheIsthmianGames,
originallyinstitutedinPoseidon'shonor,cametobelookeduponasthefuneralgamesofMelicertes.Phalanthus
wasanotherlegendarycharacterbroughtsafelytoshore(inItaly)onthebackofadolphin,accordingtoPausanias.
DionysuswasoncecapturedbyEtruscanpirateswhomistookhimforawealthyprincetheycouldransom.After
theshipsetsailDionysusinvokedhisdivinepowers,causingvinestoovergrowtheshipwherethemastandsails
hadbeen.Heturnedtheoarsintoserpents,soterrifyingthesailorsthattheyjumpedoverboard,butDionysustook
pityonthemandtransformedthemintodolphinssothattheywouldspendtheirlivesprovidinghelpforthosein
need.DolphinswerealsothemessengersofPoseidonandsometimesdiderrandsforhimaswell.Dolphinswere
sacredtobothAphroditeandApollo.
InHindumythologytheGangesRiverDolphinisassociatedwithGanga,thedeityoftheGangesriver.The
dolphinissaidtobeamongthecreatureswhichheraldedthegoddess'descentfromtheheavensandhermount,the
Makara,issometimesdepictedasadolphin.[146]
TheBoto,aspeciesofriverdolphinthatresidesintheAmazonRiver,arebelievedtobeshapeshifters,or
encantados,whoarecapableofhavingchildrenwithhumanwomen.

Incaptivity
Species
Therenewedpopularityofdolphinsinthe1960sresultedintheappearance
ofmanydolphinariaaroundtheworld,makingdolphinsaccessibletothe
public.Criticismandanimalwelfarelawsforcedmanytoclose,although
hundredsstillexistaroundtheworld.IntheUnitedStates,thebestknown
aretheSeaWorldmarinemammalparks.IntheMiddleEastthebestknown
areDolphinBayatAtlantis,ThePalm[147]andtheDubai
Dolphinarium.[148]
Variousspeciesofdolphinsarekeptincaptivity.Thesesmallcetaceansare
SeaWorldshowfeaturingbottlenose
moreoftenthannotkeptinthemeparks,suchasSeaWorld,commonly
dolphinsandpilotwhales
knownasadolphinarium.BottlenoseDolphinsarethemostcommon
speciesofdolphinkeptindolphinariumsastheyarerelativelyeasytotrain,
havealonglifespanincaptivityandhaveafriendlyappearance.HundredsifnotthousandsofBottlenoseDolphins
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liveincaptivityacrosstheworld,thoughexactnumbersarehardto
determine.OtherspecieskeptincaptivityareSpottedDolphins,False
KillerWhalesandCommonDolphins,Commerson'sDolphins,aswellas
RoughtoothedDolphins,butallinmuchlowernumbersthanthe
BottlenoseDolphin.TherearealsofewerthantenPilotWhales,Amazon
RiverDolphins,Risso'sDolphins,SpinnerDolphins,orTucuxiin
captivity.[149]Anunusualandveryrarehybriddolphin,knownasa
Wolphin,iskeptattheSeaLifeParkinHawaii,whichisacrossbetweena
BottlenoseDolphinandaFalseKillerWhale.[150]

SeaWorldPilotWhalewithtrainers

Killerwhalesarewellknownfortheirperformancesinshows,butthe
numberofOrcaskeptincaptivityisverysmall,especiallywhencomparedtothenumberofbottlenosedolphins,
withonly44captivekillerwhalesbeingheldinaquariaasof2012.[151]Thekillerwhale'sintelligence,trainability,
strikingappearance,playfulnessincaptivityandsheersizehavemadeitapopularexhibitataquariaandaquatic
themeparks.From1976to1997,55whalesweretakenfromthewildinIceland,19fromJapan,andthreefrom
Argentina.Thesefiguresexcludeanimalsthatdiedduringcapture.Livecapturesfelldramaticallyinthe1990s,
andby1999,about40%ofthe48animalsondisplayintheworldwerecaptiveborn.[152]
OrganizationssuchastheMoteMarineLaboratoryrescueandrehabilitatesick,wounded,strandedororphaned
dolphinswhileothers,suchastheWhaleandDolphinConservationSocietyandHongKongDolphinConservation
Society,workondolphinconservationandwelfare.Indiahasdeclaredthedolphinasitsnationalaquaticanimalin
anattempttoprotecttheendangeredGangesRiverDolphin.TheVikramshilaGangeticDolphinSanctuaryhas
beencreatedintheGangesriverfortheprotectionoftheanimals.[153]
Controversy
OrganizationssuchasWorldAnimalProtectionandtheWhaleandDolphin
ConservationSocietycampaignagainstthepracticeofkeepingthemin
captivity.Incaptivity,theyoftendeveloppathologies,suchasthedorsalfin
collapseseenin6090%ofmalekillerwhales.Captiveshavevastly
reducedlifeexpectancies,onaverageonlylivingintotheir20s,although
thereareexamplesofkillerwhaleslivinglonger,includingseveralover30
yearsold,andtwocaptiveorcas,CorkyIIandLolita,areintheirmid40s.
Inthewild,femaleswhosurviveinfancylive46yearsonaverage,andup
to7080yearsinrarecases.Wildmaleswhosurviveinfancylive31years
Shamuthekillerwhale,2009,witha
[154]
onaverage,andupto5060years.
Captivityusuallybearslittle
collapseddorsalfin
resemblancetowildhabitat,andcaptivewhales'socialgroupsareforeign
tothosefoundinthewild.Criticsclaimcaptivelifeisstressfulduetothese
factorsandtherequirementtoperformcircustricksthatarenotpartofwildkillerwhalebehavior.Wildkiller
whalesmaytravelupto160kilometres(100mi)inaday,andcriticssaytheanimalsaretoobigandintelligentto
besuitableforcaptivity.[155]Captivesoccasionallyactaggressivelytowardsthemselves,theirtankmates,or
humans,whichcriticssayisaresultofstress.[156]
Althoughdolphinsgenerallyinteractwellwithhumans,someattackshaveoccurred,mostofthemresultingin
smallinjuries.[157]Orcas,thelargestspeciesofdolphin,havebeeninvolvedinfatalattacksonhumansincaptivity.
TherecordholderofdocumentedorcafatalattacksisamalenamedTilikum,whohaslivedatSeaWorldsince
1992.[158][159][160]Tilikumhasplayedaroleinthedeathofthreepeopleinthreedifferentincidents(1991,1999

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and2010).[161]Tilikum'sbehavioursparkedtheproductionofthedocumentaryBlackfish,whichfocusesonthe
consequencesofkeepingorcasincaptivity.Therearedocumentedincidentsinthewild,too,butnoneofthem
fatal.[162]
Fatalattacksfromotherspeciesarelesscommon,butthereisaregisteredoccurrenceoffthecoastofBrazilin
1994,whenamandiedafterbeingattackedbyabottlenosedolphinnamedTio.[163][164]Tiohadsuffered
harassmentbyhumanvisitors,includingattemptstostickicecreamsticksdownherblowhole.[165]Nonfatal
incidentsoccurmorefrequently,bothinthewildandincaptivity.
Whiledolphinattacksoccurfarlessfrequentlythanattacksbyotherseaanimals,suchassharks,somescientists
areworriedaboutthecarelessprogramsofhumandolphininteraction.Dr.AndrewJ.Read,abiologistattheDuke
UniversityMarineLaboratorywhostudiesdolphinattacks,pointsoutthatdolphinsarelargeandwildpredators,so
peopleshouldbemorecarefulwhentheyinteractwiththem.[157]
Severalscientistswhohaveresearcheddolphinbehaviourhaveproposedthatdolphins'unusuallyhighintelligence
incomparisontootheranimalsmeansthatdolphinsshouldbeseenasnonhumanpersonswhoshouldhavetheir
ownspecificrightsandthatitismorallyunacceptabletokeepthemcaptiveforentertainmentpurposesortokill
themeitherintentionallyforconsumptionorunintentionallyasbycatch.[166][167]FourcountriesChile,Costa
Rica,Hungary,andIndiahavedeclareddolphinstobe"nonhumanpersons"andhavebannedthecaptureand
importoflivedolphinsforentertainment.[168][169]
Military
Amilitarydolphinisadolphintrainedformilitaryuses.Anumberofmilitaries
haveemployeddolphinsforvariouspurposesfromfindingminestorescuinglost
ortrappedhumans.Themilitaryuseofdolphins,however,drewscrutinyduringthe
VietnamWarwhenrumorscirculatedthattheUnitedStatesNavywastraining
dolphinstokillVietnamesedivers.[170]TheUnitedStatesNavydeniesthatatany
pointdolphinsweretrainedforcombat.Dolphinsarestillbeingtrainedbythe
UnitedStatesNavyforothertasksaspartoftheU.S.NavyMarineMammal
Program.TheRussianmilitaryisbelievedtohavecloseditsmarinemammal
programintheearly1990s.In2000thepressreportedthatdolphinstrainedtokill
bytheSovietNavyhadbeensoldtoIran.[171]
Therapy

Amilitarydolphin

Dolphinsareanincreasinglypopularchoiceofanimalassistedtherapyfor
psychologicalproblemsanddevelopmentaldisabilities.Forexample,a2005studyfounddolphinsaneffective
treatmentformildtomoderatedepression.[172]However,thisstudywascriticizedonseveralgrounds.For
example,itisnotknownwhetherdolphinsaremoreeffectivethancommonpets.[173]Reviewsofthisandother
publisheddolphinassistedtherapy(DAT)studieshavefoundimportantmethodologicalflawsandhaveconcluded
thatthereisnocompellingscientificevidencethatDATisalegitimatetherapyorthatitaffordsmorethanfleeting
moodimprovement.[174]

Consumption
Cuisine

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Insomepartsoftheworld,suchasTaiji,JapanandtheFaroeIslands,
dolphinsaretraditionallyconsideredasfood,andarekilledinharpoonor
drivehunts.[175]Dolphinmeatisconsumedinasmallnumberofcountries
worldwide,whichincludeJapan[176]andPeru(whereitisreferredtoas
chanchomarino,or"seapork").[177]WhileJapanmaybethebestknown
andmostcontroversialexample,onlyaverysmallminorityofthe
populationhaseversampledit.
Dolphinmeatisdenseandsuchadarkshadeofredastoappearblack.Fat
islocatedinalayerofblubberbetweenthemeatandtheskin.When
Plateofdolphinsashimi
dolphinmeatiseateninJapan,itisoftencutintothinstripsandeatenraw
assashimi,garnishedwithonionandeitherhorseradishorgratedgarlic,
muchaswithsashimiofwhaleorhorsemeat(basashi).Whencooked,dolphinmeatiscutintobitesizecubesand
thenbatterfriedorsimmeredinamisosaucewithvegetables.Cookeddolphinmeathasaflavorverysimilarto
beefliver.[178]
Healthconcerns
TherehavebeenhumanhealthconcernsassociatedwiththeconsumptionofdolphinmeatinJapanaftertests
showedthatdolphinmeatcontainedhighlevelsofmercury.[179]Therearenoknowncasesofmercurypoisoningas
aresultofconsumingdolphinmeat,thoughthegovernmentcontinuestomonitorpeopleinareaswheredolphin
meatconsumptionishigh.TheJapanesegovernmentrecommendsthatchildrenandpregnantwomenavoideating
dolphinmeatonaregularbasis.[180]
SimilarconcernsexistwiththeconsumptionofdolphinmeatintheFaroeIslands,whereprenatalexposureto
methylmercuryandPCBsprimarilyfromtheconsumptionofpilotwhalemeathasresultedinneuropsychological
deficitsamongstchildren.[179]
TheFaroeIslandspopulationwasexposedtomethylmercurylargelyfromcontaminatedpilotwhale
meat,whichcontainedveryhighlevelsofabout2mgmethylmercury/kg.However,theFaroeIslands
populationsalsoeatsignificantamountsoffish.Thestudyofabout900Faroesechildrenshowedthat
prenatalexposuretomethylmercuryresultedinneuropsychologicaldeficitsat7yearsofage
WorldHealthOrganization[179]

Seealso
Cetaceansportal

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160."SeaWorldtrainerkilledbykillerwhale".CNN.February25,2010.RetrievedMarch11,2010.
161.Pilkington,Ed(20100225)."KillerwhaleTilikumtobesparedafterdrowningtrainerbyponytail".TheGuardian.
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162."Killerwhalebumpsbutdoesn'tbiteboy".JuneauEmpireAlaska'sCapitalCityOnlineNewspaper.20050819.
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Furtherreading
Carwardine,M.,Whales,DolphinsandPorpoises,DorlingKindersley,2000.ISBN9780751327816.
Williams,Heathcote,WhaleNation,NewYork,HarmonyBooks,1988.ISBN9780517569320.

Externallinks
Conservation,researchandnews:
DeRohan,Anuschka."Whydolphinsaredeepthinkers"(https://www.theguardian.com/science/2003/jul/03/r
esearch.science),TheGuardian,July3,2003.
TheDolphinInstitute(https://web.archive.org/web/20051228135245/http://www.dolphininstitute.org:80/)
TheOceaniaProject,CaringforWhalesandDolphins(http://www.oceania.org.au/)
Tursiops.org:CurrentCetaceanrelatednews(http://www.tursiops.org/)
UnderstandingDolphins(http://understanddolphins.tripod.com/index.html)
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DolphinWikipedia

TheDolphinRapeMyth(http://justingregg.com/thedolphinrapemyth/)
Photos:
RedSeaSpinnerDolphinPhotogallery(http://www.robertosozzani.it/Delfini/cont.html)
PBSNOVA:Dolphins:CloseEncounters(http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/dolphins/index.html)
David'sDolphinImages(https://web.archive.org/web/20061129052929/http://neptune.atlantisintl.com:80/d
olphins/preview_root.html)
ImagesofWildDolphinsintheRedSea(http://www.terranomada.com/dolphins/dolphins.html)
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