Blog #1

Dolphins

Did you know that to prevent from drowning while they sleep, dolphins sleep with half of their brain awake and half of it asleep? I bet you didn't. Dolphins are my absolute favorite animal. I think that they are so interesting and beautiful. Dolphins are amazing animals, and I know a lot about them. I also love to learn more about them. 

 I have loved dolphins for my entire life. When I am older, I want to go to college to become a marine biologist. My dream is to be able to help sea animals like dolphins. Dolphins are very interesting to me, and I think that they are one of the smartest animals alive. Dolphin brains are the second most powerful and complex brain in animals. Dolphins have large brains. Because of their large brains, dolphins generally live long lives, they form stable communities, and they live in fluid social groups. This is why they are my favorite animal(because they are so smart), along with many other reasons. They are so smart, and they are very social and friendly. I would love to share some things that you probably don't know about them, and hopefully you will see why I love dolphins so much.

 First of all, Dolphins are capable of behavioral mimicry. This means that they can copy behaviors that they see from their trainers. For example, if the trainer lifts his/her leg, the dolphin will raise its tail, and if the trainer waves, the dolphin waves its flippers. This means that dolphins can associate a part of its anatomy with the human form. Dolphins also mimic other dolphins. When one dolphin is about to do a jump out of the water, another dolphin can copy this behavior and jump at the same time. One dolphin is the "demonstrator" and the other is the "imitator". They can also demonstrate behaviors and gestures on a screen. This means that if they see something on a screen(like a tv) they can copy/mimic that too. Dolphins are one of the only animals that can do this. 

Furthermore, something I also think is amazing about dolphins is that they can recognize themselves in a mirror. They can do this by using something called "contingency testing". This means that they make movements while looking at themselves in a mirror for that same movement. They are also aware of their own behaviors, and they can copy those behaviors when asked by a trainer. Dolphins are able to maintain a mental image of the behavior that it last performed, and update that image when they do another behavior. They can then repeat that last behavior in the sequence when a trainer requests them to. 

Lastly, I want to talk about how social dolphins are. You wouldn't think so, but dolphins experience basic emotions just like people do. They get very sad and also very happy. When on of their friends dies, and also their babies, they mourn or grieve. They are happy when they play with other dolphins. Dolphins are extremely social. They travel and live in groups or pods ranging from 2-40 dolphins because they don't like to be alone. I have also learned that their relationships are almost always long lasting. For example, when dolphins meet other pods or groups, they start to participate in a greeting ceremony that we think means that they are renewing old relationships. Another example of how social dolphins are is their close relationships with other dolphins. They have close body contact with dolphins by rubbing, petting, and sometimes hitting each other. Dolphins also swim very close to each other, and sometimes rest their fins on the other dolphin when swimming. Scientists say that this indicates a close friendship. A fun fact is that dolphins have also been watched rubbing pectoral fins as if it was a handshake. All of these facts prove how smart dolphins are. 

 All in all, dolphins are, in my opinion, the most amazing animals in the world. They are loving, gentle, smart, and very fun. Studying dolphins is something I love, and I hope that when I am older I will be able to work with and train dolphins for the rest of my life. People should keep studying dolphins so that we can see all that they are capable of. Dolphins are one of the smartest animals in the world, and I believe that people still have a lot to learn about them, and I hope that one day I can be one of those people.