Dolphin in marine park 'was killed by noise from a two-day techno rave'

By Daily Mail Reporter


Shadow the dolphin died after becoming disoriented and distressed following the rave


Wildlife experts have accused a marine park of killing a dolphin after allowing a deafening rave to be held in the attraction just a few yards from the mammal's pool.

Shadow - an eight year old dolphin - was found dead after becoming disoriented and distressed following the huge techno event.

Campaigners had warned licensing authorities in Lipperswil, Switzerland, that the Connyland aquarium's dolphins could be affected by the stress of being so close to the event.


However the Veterinary Office from the regional authority argued the facility where it would take place was built in such a way that the noise from outside would not disturb the dolphins.

The campaigners claim the party which lasted two days is thought to have affected the dolphins immune system - which in turn led to the death of Shadow.

Animal activists from Germany and Switzerland were at the site on the night of the rave and protested against what they saw was cruelty towards the animals.

The dolphin enclosure at Connyland in Switzerland


Animal activists from the German organisations ProWal and The Whale and Dolphin Protection Society recorded the sound and found the vibrations from the noise could be felt outside of the park, and within earshot of the dolphins.

Andreas Morlok from Prowal said: 'We recorded noise levels of over 100 decibels outside of the park and away from the party area. We know the party took place close to the dolphin enclosure.

Noisy students at a rave in Trafalgar Square


'The sound levels which would have been heard by the dolphins is comparable with that of a pneumatic drill on top volume. Before the event we warned of these noise levels and the damage which could be done and called for the event to be called off.

A few days after the event Shadow became very agitated. The trainer tried to calm Shadow down, but just minutes later Shadow stopped breathing and then his heart stopped beating.'


Eight-year-old Shadow in happier times


OceanCare pressure group president Sigrid Luber said: 'It is unacceptable for the well-being of animals to be sacrificed in favour of profits with the blessing of the authorities.

This is the seventh dolphin to die in this amusement park in only three years. It is completely unacceptable.'

Jurgen Ortmuller from the Whale and Dolphin Protection Society claimed: 'We have reasonable evidence to suggest that the extreme noise levels from the two day techno party severely affected the immune system of the dolphins. Dolphins are very sensitive creatures. We warned against a techno party taking place in this location for these very reasons.'

Connyland - which denies any wrong doing - has asked for an autopsy on the dolphin to establish the cause of death.

Connyland's own vet said: 'I was there and the noise would not have affected the animals. You could hardly hear anything. Connyland takes the care of its animals very seriously and they are looked after very well.'



source:dailymail

It's play time! George the friendly dolphin returns to the Devon coast to frolic with delighted swimmers

By TED THORNHILL

Making a splash: Lorraine Wright, 65, stripped off and joined George and two children for some seaside fun

Swimmers in Devon had a flippin’ great time this weekend when George the friendly dolphin showed up for some fun and frolics.

He’s been a regular visitor to the south coast of England over the years and seems to actively seek out the company of humans.

He stayed most of the day by the beach at Beer playing with excited children and adults – he even gave some of them rides.


Welcome visitor: George has previously taken up residence in Bournemouth and Weymouth - but stayed all day yesterday in Beer

Dolphins usually live in groups of two to 25, but George is clearly a loner.

A few years ago he was a regular visitor to Weymouth and Bournemouth, but he’s also been spotted happily splashing around off the coast of Ireland, near the Channel islands and off the coast of France.

George, who measures 10-feet long, seems to be very friendly, but wildlife experts warn that he’s still a strong wild animal capable of causing injury – and is also protected by law, so boats are forbidden to approach him.


Sea-ing is believing: George just loves to frolic with humans

Dorset Marine warden Emma Rance told the Bournemouth Echo: ‘We are lucky to have such amazing animals in our waters.

‘However, boat-users spotting a dolphin should immediately switch off their engine and allow the animal to approach them. If there are three or more boats around a dolphin you should move away.’

Dolphin-lovers can look forward this week to the release of Dolphin Tale, starring Morgan Freeman.

It tells the heart-warming story of Winter the dolphin, who lost the use of her tail – but learned to use a prosthetic one.


Animal magic: George has been spotted near Ireland, France and the Channel Islands






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The uplifting tail of the dolphin taught to swim with the world's first artificial fin has been made into a film

By TOM LEONARD

Inspirational: Winter with her prosthetic tail

This is the tale of a tail. A story which is a tribute to human ingenuity and the courage of one very special mammal who, for the past six years, has astonished thousands of visitors to her Florida aquarium.

For Winter the dolphin has a custom-built plastic and silicone prosthetic tail with which she has learned to swim — and with which she has inspired many men, women and children who have lost limbs.

Now, millions have learned about this remarkable story after it was turned into the Hollywood film currently sweeping all before it at the American box office and which opens in the UK next week.


Fishy tale: A worker at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida holds the prosthetic tail

Dolphin Tale, which stars Morgan Freeman as the man who crafted the tail for Winter, recreates a real-life saga which began one December morning in 2005, when Florida fishermen found a three-month-old dolphin caught by its tail in a crab trap.

The creature, so badly hurt that her mother had abandoned her, was taken to the nearby Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a rehabilitation centre for injured sealife. But a rope in the trap which had snaked around the young dolphin's tail had cut off the blood supply, with devastating consequences.

Named Winter by aquarium staff, she lost her tail and two vertebrae, but at least survived. Slowly, she found a way to swim, albeit far more slowly and with the side-to-side motion of a shark rather than the typical up-and-down movement used by dolphins.


Maimed: Winter before her artificial tail was fitted

'She has a way of connecting with injured people. Someone missing a limb is obvious, but she seems to be able to pick up on anyone with a physical challenge and somehow connect with them.'

Dolphins learn how to survive from their parents. Having lost her mother so young, Winter cannot be released into the wild. But in her newly-built 80,000-gallon aquarium pool, the resilience of this rather marvellous creature is enriching the lives of those who are lucky enough to meet her.


source :dailymail

Deep-sea jiving: Meet the woman who has learned to dance with the dolphins

By Lucy Buckland


This is the woman who dances with dolphins in perfect symmetry in their natural habitat.

And these amazing images capture the dazzling movements between Leina Sato and her mammal partners.

Free diver Ms Sato began dancing with dolphins off the coast of Hawaii and built up an amazing understanding of these graceful sea creatures.

Scroll down for the video

Unique connection: Through Leina Sato's dance movements she is able to discover more about dolphins and form a closer relationship with the mammals

Perfect partners: Because Leina Sato dances with dolphins everyday off the coast of Hawaii their movements become synchronised to create identical movements

She started swimming with them seven years ago and instead of her original intention of studying marine biology, she then set up her own charter boat company.

This allowed her to dive with them practically everyday for the last four years and to form a close relationship with the mammals, so the dolphins began to mirror her movements.

Ms Sato, 25, was born in Tokyo, but moved to France when she was one and again to Hawaii when she was 15.

She said: 'We really are blessed here in Hawaii to have had this strong, ongoing relationship between human and wild dolphins.

'When you swim with them you lose all sense of time and you immerse yourself in the pod. Rather than just looking at them it is very much like going to meet another culture or civilization.

Capturing the moment: A film, starring Leina Sato and others dancing with dolphins, won an award for Best Experimental Film at the Big Apple Film Festival for its beautiful cinematography

Follow me: Leina Sato shows sometimes her dolphin dance partners take the lead


Roll with it: Eye contact between human and dolphin can help contribute to the perfect mirror movements

'What really fascinates me is the fact that they have a neocortex as evolved as ours although wired quite differently but we move in such a different reality.'

And Ms Sato is part of a group called the Dolphin Dance Project which captured the movements of humans and dolphins dancing on film.

Their creation Together: Dancing with Spinner Dolphins won Best Experimental Film at the Big Apple Film Festival in 2010.




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Dolphins vanishing from the Cornish coast thanks to pollution and over-fishing

By Tamara Cohen


They were once a common sight along the Cornish coast, where their acrobatic feats have delighted visitors for decades.

But the county’s bottlenose dolphins could soon be no more than a memory, experts have warned.

Their numbers have plummeted from around 20 in 1991 to just six today, as they fall victim to fishing nets and pollution.

Rare sight: The number of bottlenose dolphins found off the Cornish coast has dwindled from 20 in 1991 to just six today


According to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, 20 years ago the playful creatures accounted for 67 per cent of all marine animal sightings, but by 2008 that figure had fallen to 27 per cent.

Ruth Williams, the Trust’s marine conservation manager, said: ‘The group size is now extremely low and we are concerned for their future. Although young dolphins are seen each year, the reported group size does not seem to be growing.

‘If they were to vanish from Cornwall, it would be a severe blow for the marine environment and terribly sad for the many people who come to see these magnificent creatures. They do come very close to the shore here and are a very special sight.’

Since 2008 their numbers have remained static at between six and eight, with just one or two young dolphins spotted in the group – far fewer than in the past.

Conservationists do not fully understand the reasons for their decline, but believe some may have been poisoned by chemicals in the sea.

Miss Williams added: ‘The reasons are not clear and it’s really a jigsaw puzzle but recent post-mortems suggest they have ingested chemicals called polychlorinated biphenols (PCBS) which are found in all sorts of flame retardant materials.

‘Because Cornwall has a small population of bottlenose dolphins, losing a few individuals can make a massive difference, whereas larger groups may be more resilient.’

Cornwall prides itself on its regular community of bottlenose dolphins which come right up to the seashore almost every day in the summer months.

There are two other sites where bottlenose dolphins are seen in the UK – Cardigan Bay in Wales and Moray Firth in Scotland which have much larger populations of more than 100.

The Trust have been researching their numbers in collaboration with Exeter University researcher Stephen Pikesley, who has written an academic paper on their decline which will be published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom next month.

He said: ‘When we analysed these data it was clear that there were significant decreases in the number of bottlenose dolphin sightings between 1991 and 2008. We also found that the size of bottlenose dolphin groups had decreased.’


source:dailymail

Meet the real-life Flipper: The extraordinary relationship between a woman and her wild dolphin friend

By Daily Mail Reporter


Meet the woman who can count a wild dolphin among her closest friends.

Dolphin expert Ute Margreff spends up to seven hours per day in chilly waters off the coast of Ireland with her dolphin pal, Mara.

For the last 12 years the German native has travelled the world studying the behaviour of solitary dolphins in the wild.

Ocean bonding: Ute Margreff cuddles with her dolphin friend Mara in the waters off the coast of Galway

But it is her incredible relationship with female dolphin Mara that brings Ute to Galway Bay where she conducts her research all year round.

Ute's relationship with her sea pal, resonates a striking similarity to the TV series and film Flipper, in which a bottlenose dolphin is the close companion of the sons of a warden at a marine preserve in Florida.

The dolphin expert says: ‘I think my research will make people re-examine what they think they know about dolphins,’ explained the 43-year-old.

‘Very few marine researchers have the privilege to study up close the way I do.

‘It is important to have a certain mind-set, to be rational and open-hearted at the same time.

Belly rub: Ute and Mara play in the water and the dolphin expert rubs the wild animal's tummy as they bask in the sunshine


‘With me, I feel like I'm getting educated by the dolphins. It's pioneering work to be learning about inter-species communication.’

When Ute was first introduced to the aquatic mammal in 2000, she said she knew that Mara was special.

Ute said: ‘Mara was very open, allowing our interaction to happen. From that point I knew I was going to be studying dolphins full-time.’

And according to Ute, although well known for being friendly, dolphins are as keen to learn about the human world, as she is to better understand theirs.

And Mara wants Ute to know all about the underwater world she inhabits.

Since their first meeting in 2000, Mara has introduced Ute to a range of sea life including wild dolphin pods, sunfish, porpoise and seals.

Ute said: ‘I was speaking with a seal expert with decades of experience who was absolutely amazed at the seal-human-dolphin interaction.’

Mara also brings ‘gifts’ from the seabed, including rubbish left behind by humans.

Ute said: ‘She brought me a discarded food processor recently.
‘It was like she was letting me know that she knows it was something from our world.’

The passionate researcher believes that humans should see dolphins as ‘non-human people’ who are free to make decisions about their own lives.

She said: ‘When I am in the water I have to tune into the dolphin consciousness and dolphin being and let go of my human perceptions.

‘In the beginning I was like a blank piece of paper. It's been a very natural process.

‘The long-term goal is that we get a whole new idea of how intelligent dolphins are and consider their behaviour and their communication.

Having a laugh: Mara gives the camera a happy smile and and shows off her pearly white teeth


‘I would like to see the end of dolphinariums. I think we are kind of dislocated from nature and that we have to let go of trying to control other creatures.’

Since starting her research, Ute has come to know many of the dolphins without pods that swim the waters of Northern Europe including Fungi, Duggie and Doni.

She said: ‘I think it's important that people realise dolphins have personalities as unique as ours.

‘Mara is very clever and highly sociable. My research shows that solitary dolphins can happily interact with pods, and they frequently do.

‘Like humans they make their own choices about how they lives their lives.

Gifts from below: Mara brings Ute a selection of presents from the sea bed, such as seaweed, to show her fondness for her

Getting towed: Ute grabs a ride on Mara's back as they wade through the oceans off the coast of Galway, Ireland


‘Because I spend most of my time in the ocean, I'm living in a place with no boundaries.

‘If I am in the boat, I might only see what's happening on the surface and not seeing what's going on under water.

‘When I get into the water it opens up a whole different level.’

The researcher is currently raising awareness about the plight of Morgan, a young female Orca, who is housed in a dolphinarium in Holland.

Ute said: ‘I feel very passionately that all wild sea creatures should remain wild and free.

‘Orcas can swim up to 100 km per day, yet Morgan has been held in a small concrete tank at the Harderwijk Dolfinarium for the past year.

‘It's no place for a wild animal. She needs to be brought back to the ocean where she belongs.’


Similarities: Elijah Wood starring in the 1996 film of Flipper, about a boy who bonded with a bottlenose dolphin


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Story of World's first 'bionic' dolphin and his prosthetic tail is to become Hollywood blockbuster... and it's going to be in 3D

By Daily Mail Reporter


Watching her swim through the water you would think she's like any other dolphin, doing backflips and splashing around in her pool.

But this is Winter, the world's first bionic dolphin, whose heartwarming story has inspired a Hollywood blockbuster.

At just two months old she lost her mother and her tail in a crab trap.

Dolphin Tale: Winter's life will be documented in a new Hollywood movie which will be shown in the UK in October


Squealing in pain and struggling to stay alive she was eventually rescued, and now her inspiring story will be brought to life - with Winter taking the starring role.

Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jnr and Ashley Judd star alongside Winter and tell the story of how a special prosthetic fin was made so she could try to live a normal life.

Five years ago Jim Savage, played by Connick Jnr, left his home in the dark to spend the day fishing off the Florida coast.

While out he heard Winter's cries and spotted the distressed bottlenose dolphin.
Jim immediately began to free her and cut the mammal from several ropes before realising she couldn't escape because of a severe tail injury.

Desperate to help and spurred on by the high pitched noises she made, he rang the authorities who told him a marine biologist would be there as soon as possible.

After three hours of waiting he was joined by Theresa Mazza and together they sat with Winter for a further five hours while waiting for a specialist ambulance.

'When we first got close she was squealing in pain and freaking out,' said Theresa to the Sunday Mirror.

'But once I had her in the shallow water, she lay with her head in my lap. I kept splashing her and tried to shade her from the sun to stop her burning,' she said.

Eventually help arrived and Winter was taken to Clearwater Marine Aquarium where biologists made the shocking discovery that her injuries were so severe her tail would have to be amputated.

Worried about her survival trainers spent hours helping her in the water and eventually she defied all expectations, she began to swim and moved her stump from side to side instead of up and down.

But staff were worried this could damage her spine.

Speaking in 2008 aquarium director David Yates said: 'She had to learn how to swim without a tail, which no dolphin has ever done in captivity.

'We didn't know if she could do that. But vets feared her wagging might damage her spine.'

Their solution - to see if someone would be able to create an artificial tail - so they turned to Irish scientist Kevin Carroll and his business partner Dan Strzempka, who run a company making prosthetic limbs.

Mr Carroll, 53, said: 'I came straight down, saw Winter and felt really sorry for her. I said, "OK, we'll fit her a little tail. Not a big deal".

'Little did I know it was going to take a year and a half. With a person, when we fit a socket we have one long, solid bone. We don't have to have the socket moving in every direction.

'With a dolphin, it needs to move along with her full spine. But the months of work were worth it.'

After 18 months of painstaking work, £150,000 and nearly 50 prototypes, the pair managed to create a 30 inch silicone tail.

Winter, who only wears the limb for a few hours a day, wouldn't survive in the wild and constantly needs a replacement limb as she grows.

Staff at the aquarium also spend hours massaging her muscles every day to ensure she is comfortable.

Visitors have also been inspired by Winter and a number of servicemen who have been injured in Iraq and Afghanistan have benefited from the work done by Mr Carroll.

Because Winter's skin is so sensitive, a special gel had to be created so that the fake limb wouldn't irritate her.

The gel has been so successful it is now being used for humans too.

Brian Kolfage, who lost both legs and his right hand in Iraq, had such a severe reaction to the fake limbs he was unable to use them. But because of the breakthrough cream he is now able to walk again.

Young children visiting Winter are also inspired and find the courage to deal with their own deformities after meeting the inspirational dolphin.

Hannah Jenkins, 12, who was born without a left hand and forearm, said Winter helped her realise she too could survive.

Winter may never be the most elegant dolphin but, as she splashes about in the aquarium, it is safe to say that she probably doesn't care.

Dolphin Tale, directed by Charles Martin Smith, will be released in the UK in 3D this October.

A member of staff at the aquarium shows off the fake limb which moves along with Winter's spine


source:dailymail

On me head! Dolphin leaps out of the sea... with a jellyfish for a hat

By ANNA EDWARDS

Pleased as punch with his porkpie hat: The dolphin sported the jellyfish like a traditional Kiss Me Quick hat

This playful dolphin seems to have entered into the spirit of the British seaside holiday by sporting a jellyfish in the style of a 'Kiss Me Quick' porkpie hat.

The energetic mammal proudly emerged from the sea off Scotland with a jellyfish jauntily balanced on its head.

The bottlenose dolphin then seemed to have a change of heart about his choice of iconic headgear, because he shook off the common jellyfish, which had stayed on his head as he came out of the water.


Bored now! The fickle bottlenose dolphin quickly changed his mind about his headgear, and flicked the poor jellyfish off

He promptly threw the probably-terrified jellyfish to a friend like a frisbee, while he and his playmates frolicked in the sea.

Photographer Chris Wilson, 46, watched the action at Chanonry Point, on the Moray Firth, near Inverness, Scotland.

source: dailymail

South American dolphin is the first 'true mammal' to sense prey by their electric fields

By Daily Mail Reporter


South American dolphins can sense their prey by using electric fields, new research suggests.

The study shows that the dolphins are the first 'true mammal' to do this.

Electro-reception is well known in fish and amphibians, but it was previously thought the only mammal to do this was the platypus.

Guiana dolphins can sense electrical signals to hunt for food


Writing in the Royal Society's journal Proceedings B, researchers also predict that cetaceans may show the same ability.

The Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) lives around the east coast of South America, and resembles more common bottlenose dolphin.

Like all of the toothed cetaceans, it hunts and locates using sound.

But scientists have now shown that at close range, it can also sense electrical signals.

They are not as sensitive as sharks and rays, but can detect signals of the same size as those produced in water when fish move their muscles.

Project leader Wolf Hanke from the University of Rostock, Germany, told the BBC: 'It feeds in the bottom [of the sea] a lot, and it lives in water where there can be a lot of silt and mud suspended.

'And echolocation doesn't work at very close range, so this is where electrolocation would come in.'

Captive Guiana dolphins have been kept at the zoo in Muenster, in Germany where researchers were trying to find out the function of small depressions in the dolphin's rostrum.

They trained one of the dolphins to put its head on a 'rest station', where electrodes delivered a tiny electrical signal into the water.

When a signal was present, the dolphin received a reward if it swam away; if not, it received a reward for staying put.

Then a plastic shield was placed above the lines of crypts, blocking any electrical sensing and it remained still throughout.


source:dailymail

Flipping incredible: Photographer's five-year tour of Britain to capture dolphins at play

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER


Friendly dolphin Dave touches base with a man in his kayak in Folkestone, Kent


A British photographer has travelled the UK and Ireland taking incredible shots of wild dolphins at play.

Terry Whittaker has spent the last five years snapping the rarely-seen animals as they lark about in the water.

His collection shows the fun-loving creatures zipping through the waves and performing incredible acrobatic stunts.

Some of his heart-warming shots also show one lone dolphin enjoying fun and games with swimmers and kayakers.

The adorable animal became an instant hit when she first turned up in the water near Sandgate, Kent.

She became so used to visitors that she would let them ride on her back and swim alongside her.


Holidaymakers rush into the sea to interact with dolphin Dave


She even encouraged sunbathers in to the water by swimming up and down in the shallows.

It was this dolphin, who became known to locals as 'Dave' who inspired Mr Whittaker to begin photographing the animals in UK and Irish waters.

The 55-year-old, who lives in Sandgate, said: 'I had photographed marine mammals all over the world before but had never paid much attention to those around our shores.

'Dave just turned up on my doorstep one day. She was a lone dolphin and it's very unusual to see them so I just started photographing her.

'She was very friendly and became more so as she became accustomed to humans. She became very tame and she would allow swimmers to grab on to her.

'She also loved kayaks, she would sometimes push them around or bump them.


Mammals out of water: Two Bottlenose dolphins jump into the air at the Moray Firth, Scotland


'I was interested in people's reaction and attitudes to wildlife so I took pictures of Dave almost every day for a year.

'People went crazy for her, they flocked to the beach to see her.

'Some who saw her every day were respectful towards her but others did crowd around.
Sometimes there would be crowds of people trying to get in to the water.

'It was a worry for marine biologists, they tried to stop people swimming with her.

'Although people often see swimming with dolphins as a great experience it can be bad for the animal.


Dave swims in the English Channel with a group children


'Not only does it get them to used to human contact, it also puts them at risk of getting hurt. They can be injured by passing boats or become tangled in fishing lines.'

When Dave moved on from the Kent coastline Mr Whittaker travelled to Moray Firth in Scotland and the West Irish coast in search of more dolphins.

Since then he has returned to Scotland every year.

He said: 'There aren't as many people about in Scotland and Ireland so it's not as busy or crazy as it was in Kent.


Fish out of water: A lone dolphin passes a fish to a swimmer at Folkestone, Kent


'I saw pods which ranged from three dolphins to as many as 20. It's just amazing to see them.

'I still go to Scotland every year. There are big pods of dolphins up there, you can spot them from the shore. It's incredible to be just three or feet away from them.

'I've seen them catching fish and some jump as high as nine feet from the water. It's an amazing spectacle that happens right in front of your face.'



Mammal out of Water: A Bottlenose dolphin jumps out the water in Moray Firth, Scotland


source: dailymail

Spinning with dolphins: Diver completes 13 underwater loops... powered by two of his flippered friends

By Daily Mail Reporter


Record attempt: Simone Arrigoni is pushed along by the dolphins as he recorded 13 underwater circuits


As he is pushed along underwater, this diver shows how he is in perfect tune with two dolphins.

But this performance isn't part of a marine show - it is actually a record attempt.

Simone Arrigoni completed 13 circuits under dolphin power - and broke his own

record - using the dynamic apnea technique, which involves holding your breath.

Pushed along: The dolphins, named Paco and Marco, completed the circuits, or 'voltas', in 1 minute 53 seconds


The attempt took place at a marine centre in the Italian town of Tovaianica, south of Rome.

Arrigoni completed the circuits, or 'voltas' as he calls them, in one minute 53 seconds - and travelled 657 metres.

'Voltas' is a Portuguese term used by the diver to define the circles that he constructs as he is pushed along by the dolphins - in this case, Paco and Marco.

The task is made more difficult as it requires absolute synchronisation with the animals.

And the dolphins are required to surface at least twice during the test in order to breathe, while the diver remains under the surface in a fixed position.

Breaking the surface: The dolphins are required to leave the water at least twice during the test in order to breathe


Arrigoni said before the attempt: 'The trainers at Zoomarine have taught to me to listen to the dolphins and that they converse with each other in order to correct the position during the test.'

This is the third year that Arrigoni has attempted to complete the challenge.

Previously he had set a record using the technique when he completed 12 'voltas', or 607 metres, in a total of one minute 42 seconds.




source:dailymail

New underwater translator could help humans talk to dolphins

By Daily Mail Reporter


Decoding their language: Scientists are developing a new computer which may allow humans to communicate with dolphins


For years man has dreamt of being able to communicate directly with animals.

And now it appears that it could be a step closer thanks to a group of American scientists.

They are in the process of developing a underwater computer that attempts to recognise dolphin sounds and then respond in real time.


They are hoping to test the machine off the Florida coast in the next few weeks, and, if successful, it will be a huge step in establishing communication between humans and animals.

The machine works by using hydrophones to pick up the dolphin sounds and LEDs to show the direction they came from.

When they receive a sound, the divers will then play back one of eight 'words' and see if dolphins mimic them.

The scientists, led by Dr Denise Herzing, will then catalogue all the sounds the dolphins make and, they hope, establishing the building blocks of the dolphins language.

Breakthrough: The new machine, which may be similar to this, works by using hydrophones to pick up the dolphin sounds and LEDs to show the direction they came from


Once this is completed, Dr Herzing and her team hope to create a language they can use to talk back to the dolphins using the machine.

Previously behavioural biologists have carried out two-way communication with dolphins in the wild.

Dr Herzing and colleagues at the Wild Dolphin Project in Jupiter, Florida, established a shared, primitive form of language using sounds, symbols and props.

'Many studies communicate with dolphins, especially in captivity, using fish as a reward,' Dr Herzing told Wired.com. 'But it’s rare to ask dolphins to communicate with us.'

The earlier experiment revolved around both dolphins and humans asking each other for props such as balls and scarves.

A large underwater keyboard formed the focus of the study; each key was painted with a different symbol and emitted a precisely pitched whistle.

When a dolphin pressed a certain key with her nose, researchers would throw the corresponding prop into the water. Should the dolphin instead decide to whistle the pitch that a certain key would emit, then that prop would be thrown in.

Over the course of three years, the scientists played with the dolphins for 40 half-hour sessions.

They found that while young males were less interested in interacting with humans, young females enjoyed the game.

Dr Herzing said: 'This is when the females have a lot of play time, before they are busy being mothers.'

The sessions were at the most successful when the biologists had swum slowly with the dolphins beforehand, particularly if they had made eye contact and mimicked each other's movements.

Highlighting their social tendencies, the spotted dolphins Dr Herzing's team was playing with even recruited another species, bottlenose dolphins, to play the game.

The study was published in the Acta Astronautica journal.




source:dailymail

Flippin' heck: The dolphins that can jump as high as a double decker bus

By Daily Mail Reporter


Making a splash: The playful pod of spotted dolphins show of with some spectacular aerial moves


These amazing pictures show a gang of young, spotted dolphins leaping an incredible 15 feet in the air - high enough to clear a double decker bus.

The six foot long marine mammals are jumping an astounding two and a half times their own body length.

Two boisterous juveniles are shown throwing their weight about in order to teach the one smaller calf how to assert itself within the pod of dolphins they belong to.

And back down we go: The Atlantic Spotted Dolphins were captured by British photographer, Anthony Pierce, 30, from Leeds.

Watch me fly: A spotted dolphin rockets high into the air as it's friends play nearby


The rarely seen images of three spotted dolphins leaping together were taken by a British photographer, Anthony Pierce, 30, from Leeds.

Anthony was visiting friends who own a catamaran and research marine mammals off the coast of Pico Island in the Azores - the group of Portugese islands in the Atlantic.

'You can see leaping dolphins from a great distance - several miles away,' he explained.

'There are look out posts on the coast that can see for miles out to sea - they send out radio calls to let people know.

'We got a call that dolphins were leaping and got in our boat and headed out there to see them.

'Different dolphins jump in different ways.

'We got closer and closer - and eventually you can identify what species they are by how they're jumping.

'They were jumping a lot but mainly alone - which meant they were either common or spotted dolphins.

'And once we were really close we saw the distinctive spots so I knew they must be spotted.'

Synchronised flipping: Members of the pod of spotted dolphins line up for more aerial acrobatics


Despite years of research into the subject scientists are still at a loss to explain exactly how dolphins are able to generate enough power to jump these incredible distances.

As spotted dolphins nearly always leap alone - despite having dedicated the last five years of his life to dolphin photography - Anthony was bowled over by the sight of the three jumping together.

'I very rarely see that and I've travelled all over the world looking for them,' he explained.

'It's a social display - like a gang of human teenagers having a lark.

'They're up to mischief mucking about together.

'They're putting so much effort into their jumping you can see they must be getting a kick out of it.

'When dolphins leap like this its usually for social reasons.

'They devote so much energy playing in this way it's unlikely they're doing it purely for the purposes of travelling from A to B.

'It must be a thrill to be travelling through the air.'

Gravity defying: Despite years of research scientists are still at a loss to explain how the dolphins are able to generate enough power to jump so high


The set of dramatic images also shows a mother showing her calf how to jump - suggesting that there is an important reason for the exuberant leaps the charismatic creatures make.

The leaps follow a pattern, with spotted dolphins doing one huge initial jump followed by two or three more quickly afterwards.

'It is a very difficult shot to take because they're only above the water for a fraction of a second,' explained Anthony.

'I have to press the shutter down before they break through the surface in order to capture them - because they're so incredibly quick.

'I have to predict where they're going to be.

'Its' a fantastic experience - they're wild animals - not in a sanctuary or in a show somewhere.'

Spotted dolphins start their lives a uniform grey colour until they reach juvenile age and spots begin to appear.

They reach sexual maturity at between six and eight years-old and as they get older the spots on their skin become more dense.

They are smaller than other species so do not have the body fat to live in cold seas.

The sea mammals live in sub-tropical and tropical waters - feeding off a variety of fish and squid.



source:dailymail

Some-fin special: A cat and a dolphin become best new buddies

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Chin up: The dolphin appears to smile as it pats the cat on top of its head


They certainly make an amusing couple. A tabby cat enjoys a few nose-to-nose moments with a dolphin before reaching out with a paw to stroke the side of its face.

Both the cat and the dolphin seem extremely curious and playful in each other's company.

The touching scene was captured on camera in one minute and 50 seconds of total cuteness.


Come here: The dolphin moves back and the cat reaches out with a paw


At first the dolphin keeps resting its chin on the top of the cat's head.

Then the cat reaches out with its paw, beckoning its giant buddy to come closer.

After what appears to be some loving kisses, the cat rubs its head all around the dolphin's mouth.


On the nose: Appearing to kiss, the animals enjoy a touching moment


At one point the cat appears to be kissing the dolphin while holding the side of its face with the left paw. Two more dolphins show up, but this kitty only has eyes for its new pal.

The location of the video is unclear, but one thing is certain: The feline fine factor of the clip has proved to be a big hit.

It has been watched more than 31,000 times since it was posted last month.


Cat and Dolphins playing together



source: dailymail