In the nearby Intercoastal waterway of Florida you can see dolphins break the surface of the water to breath, exposing their dorsal fins as they roll back under. Couples, trios, quartets. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a solo dolphin. Maybe that’s why I like found this ScienceDaily article quite interesting -
Dolphins Use Diplomacy in Their Communication, Biologists Find
According to the experts, the tonal whistle sounds (the most melodious ones) allow dolphins to stay in contact with each other (above all mothers and offspring), and to coordinate hunting strategies. The burst-pulsed sounds (which are more complex and varied than the whistles) are used “to avoid physical aggression in situations of high excitement, such as when they are competing for the same piece of food, for example,” explains Díaz.
Okay, “diplomacy” is probably stretching it. But maybe not. Dolphins are such alien creatures. Highly social. How social are they? What is the stuff of their social lives? Our understanding of them is likely rudimentary at best. But at least there’s progress.
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