Includes orcas

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Dolphin Ecology

When you are on the way back to the harbor after the afternoon dive, wild dolphins often swim in front and along the dive boat. They seem to love following boats. Sometimes they then perform for us, in form of huge jumps out of the water and “tail shows”, keeping the tail up for minutes remaining still in the water.

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Ecology & Science

My biggest surprise was to see how fast these beautiful animals actually swim underwater. One of these young dolphins tried to teach me her kind of swimming, but quickly gave up on such a clumsy student. This recent first encounter made me think about how much – or how little - do we actually know about dolphins: their biology, ecology and behavior?

Rare dolphin found in the jungle

Wildlife Conservation Society researchers have discovered a stronghold for one of the world’s rarest freshwater dolphins, the Irrawaddy, deep in the waterlogged jungles of Bangladesh.

The Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) can be found in scattered subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia
Ecology & Science

“This discovery gives us great hope that there is a future for Irrawaddy dolphins,” said WCS researcher Brian D. Smith, who led the study. “Bangladesh clearly serves as an important sanctuary for Irrawaddy dolphins, and conservation in this region should be a top priority.”

The scientists counted nearly 6,000 of the dolphins in the South Asian country’s Sundarbans mangrove forest and the adjacent waters of the Bay of Bengal.

Dolphins and Beluga Whales accumulate pollutants

Wildlife from remote locations have been shown to bioaccumulate perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in their tissues.

Ecology & Science

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can spread globally through air and water, accumulate in the food chain, and may have carcinogenic, neurodevelopmental, immune or endocrine effects on both wildlife and humans.

Biopsies

POP including legacy POPs (PCBs, chlordanes, mirex, DDTs, HCB, and dieldrin) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants were determined in 300 blubber biopsy samples from coastal and near shore/estuarine male bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) sampled along the U.S. East and Gulf of Mexico coasts and Bermuda

Dolphins use a double sonar

Researchers from Sweden and the US have now discovered that dolphins can generate two sound beam projections simultaneously.

Ecology & Science

“The findings add fuel to an already fierce debate in the research community on how the echolocation sound is produced”, says Josefin Starkhammar.

Dr Starkhammar’s own guess is that the two sound projections come from the two different sound-producing organs, the existence of which is well known, but it was believed that only one was active during echolocation. She stresses that more research is needed. For example, the two projections could also be explained by complicated reflections in the head of the dolphin, where the sound is formed.

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The Rio Negro’s Amazons

The Inia geoffrensis, more commonly known as the pink dolphin, is nicknamed locally as ‘Boto’ and resides in the waters of the Rio Negro. Although still poorly known, this species is considered the most intelligent of the five species of freshwater dolphins. The pink dolphin has a melon-shaped head, a thick and elongated back, a crest instead of a dorsal fin, and disproportionately large ventral fins and tail—all of which making it less refined than the common dolphin. Yet, when you see its agility and wild grace underwater, it makes you think of the legendary Amazons.

Words:
Michel Braunstein
Images:
Michel Braunstein
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Travel & Trips

The Inia geoffrensis, more commonly known as the pink dolphin, is nicknamed locally as ‘Boto’ and resides in the waters of the Rio Negro. Although still poorly known, this species is considered the most intelligent of the five species of freshwater dolphins. The pink dolphin has a melon-shaped head, a thick and elongated back, a crest instead of a dorsal fin, and disproportionately large ventral fins and tail—all of which making it less refined than the common dolphin. Yet, when you see its agility and wild grace underwater, it makes you think of the legendary Amazons.

Dolphins have the unique ability to turn off and on diabetes

The discovery that dolphins have the ability to switch diabetes on and off could lead to a treatment and cure for the disease in humans.

Ecology & Science

Scientists found that the mammal can induce the condition when there is little food around and turn it off when food is abundant.

Scientists from the US National Marine Mammal Foundation said that bottlenose dolphins are resistant to insulin - just like people with diabetes only in dolphins, this resistance is switched on and off.

They believe it is a unique ability in the animal kingdom and results from the mammal’s need to maintain high blood sugar levels to feed its big brain.

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