In the forehead of many species of dolphin sits one of the largest brains (in relationship to body size) found in any nonhuman animal. Some species of dolphins have relatively larger brains than any of the apes. This is not to suggest that every cetacean cranuim is host to an enormous brain. Baleen whales have relatively small brains. All dolphins are not intellectually equal. As with most of the work being done today with cetaceans, studies that attempt to learn about the dolphins intellectual capabilities, many long time observers of these animals don't need controlled studies to tell them what their eyes can see: that dolphins are especially clever, highly social animals that, at times are seen doing amazing things.
At Hawaii's Sea Life Park on Oahu two female pilot whales showed their trainers that they were indeed capable of learning by observation. One of the pilot whales, upon learning certain sounds, had been trained to perform specific behaviors, one of which was to junp through a hoop held high above water. The animal had been taught to wear a blindfold, but had never performed wearing one. The second pilot whale, on the other hand, wore her blindfold both when swimming around barriers and when retrieving rings on her rostrum. The animals had watched each other perform in the past but had never been trained to duplicate the act. That changed one day when the trainers accidentally switched their performers. The result? The show went on as usual, and the audience didn't have a clue that anything was amiss. Each whale performed the other's part as though it was second nature. So flawless were their performances that the trainers didn't even learn of their mistake until later.
In another example of imitation, a male bottlenose dolphin named Daan watched a diver clean algae from the glass underwater viewing port in his tank. After several observations, Daan picked up a seagull feather and began to scrape the glass, making sounds and blowing bubbles almost identical to those that emanated from the diver's air-valve apparatus.
Can dolphins delay their response to a stimulus, or once the moment passes, is it gone from memory? One swimmer found that dolphins, like the elephant, if folklore is to be believed-doesn't forget. One day as the trainer was leaving the tank, he accidentally kicked a dolphin. The morning after, when the trainer reentered the water, that dolphin was there to wreak its revenge with a blow of equal intensity.
A similar example of dolphins disciplining trainers involved a female roothtoothed dolphin who frequently solicited stroking from her trainer. When, during one of these sessions, the trainer stroked her one month old infant, the mother whacked the trainer with her tail, after which she offered herself up for more stroking. Roughtoothed dolphins have a reputation for being extremely bold and and not taking any crap. One actually pulled a hypodermic syringe from a tank mate during a medical treatment and then went for the veterinarian!
As my page gets closer to being finished you will see more and more stories being posted on here. If you have amazing dolphin stories and would like to share them on my site...
© 2002
Millions of people each year visit oceanariums around the world to witness the grace, beauty and intelligence of dolphins. The question most frequently asked by visitors is "How intelligent are dolphins?". It is a good question as it has led researchers to investigate a dolphins mental abilities. One doesn't have to spend to much time around dolphins to suspect that they are adept to learning new things, dealing with new situations, are creative, have great mental acuteness and comprehension. The stories below are true observations from trainers and researchers.
