3-minute read
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we’ll see
No, I won’t be afraid, oh, I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.
Ben E. King
Marvels of complex intelligence, dolphins are widely acknowledged as one of the brainiest animal species on the planet. Scientists studying how the clever communicators and determined problem-solvers apply their cetacean smarts to assisting other dolphins in distress have concluded that the marine mammals also have a remarkable capacity for caregiving.
Active assistance aimed at relieving another’s suffering can take many forms, but the most important is the simple willingness to answer a call for help—and that’s a trait our finned friends share with humans. According to researchers documenting caregiving behaviors in animals, dolphins will respond to the distress calls of an injured or dying member of their pod and attempt to provide aid.
Leave No Dolphin Behind
And what does dolphin aid look like? It starts with a whistle. Individual dolphins establish contact with one another and communicate through signature whistles. An increase in the intensity and frequency of a whistle accompanied by a stream of bubbles can signal a cry for help from a dolphin in trouble. Dolphins typically swim to the rescue by staying close, rapidly circling, showing aggression toward a threat, or offering direct help by lifting a suffering pod member to the surface to breathe.
You might imagine that the resourceful animals learn triage from trainers, but both captive and wild dolphins have been observed attempting to provide caregiving. In a recent report, a group of 20 wild bottlenose dolphins filmed in the Red Sea instinctually formed teams to offer support to a struggling female. Responding to distress whistles, one team pushed and lifted her to the surface for air while another swam below, supporting her lower body. For as long as she whistled for help, the caregiving cetaceans stayed with her, pushing and lifting, listening for the distress cries to stop.
Scientists have yet to determine exactly what motivates helping behaviors in dolphins. Could the ability to recognize and try to alleviate the suffering of a fellow creature be a “scratch my fin, I’ll scratch yours” survival strategy or perhaps a demonstration of animal altruism? Advances in AI aimed at decoding animal communications could hold the key to understanding what drives their actions. Until we know for certain, we’d like to believe these whip-smart cetaceans show caring out of the goodness of their dolphin hearts.
ICYMI Nature News
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