“What’s your favorite animal?” Many people will answer “Dolphins”. Although they appear joyful and always carrying a smile, their animalistic behavior and traits do not correspond to their expressions.
While documentaries and social media portray dolphins as always happy and playful organisms, their biological behavior is complex and requires development. They are highly intelligent creatures, capable of using echolocation to navigate and hunt cooperatively. Interestingly, they have helped humans develop the submarine and even saved some of them during dangerous circumstances.
This brings the important question - Do dolphins have a darker side?
Remember – Every coin has two sides, and this is analogous to dolphins too! Apart from being amazing animals, it is necessary to address their unexposed and cruel side which is often underspoken of. As a consequence, these are some of the animal’s behavior on the “other side of the coin”:
Dolphins murder other organisms
If you have previously visited the aquarium before - you may have watched a dolphin show, where they balance beach volleyballs and pass them to each other, as the audience gaze in awe of their spectacular motor skills in an aquatic environment. However, a 2009 United States International (UPI) reported staff at the Dolphin research center in Grassy Key, Florida, rescuing baby sharks which were used as toys by dolphins.
Dolphins hardly sleep
It is revealed that Dolphins rarely sleep for up to five days without sleeping. According to a study by the Whale & Dolphin Conservation USA, a dolphin may stay awake for up to days as their brain alternates on which half may remain asleep, whereas the other remains alert to the external environment.
Dolphins are drug addicts
Humans are not the only ones using drugs here - there is evidence of dolphins being drug addicts and suffer from substance abuse problems. Footage from a BBC documentary series, “Spy in the Pod,” revealed what appeared to be dolphins getting the “high” effect off of pufferfish. Pufferfish produce a chemical, which functions as a defensive mechanism once they are threatened. In small concentrations however, the toxin induces a “trance-like state” when dolphins come into contact with it.
Dolphins are infant murderers.
Once a male dolphin shows interest towards a female dolphin, a group of male dolphins may drown the baby dolphin so that one of the male dolphins can reproduce a new baby dolphin with the genetics of the father. To make this even worse - dolphins murder their own babies so that they are able to reproduce again.
By studying their complex behavior, we may gain a deeper appreciation for these brilliant creatures and ensure their continued survival on the waters of our planet. In fact, it is possible that dolphins have existed for longer than we have!
https://whalescientists.com/hector-dolphins/ (thumbnail)
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