Relationship Between Dolphins and Humans
Dolphin Intelligence Research: The U.S. Navy leads the way. Mammal research is still a fairly new endeavor. Although we’ve been fascinated by these animals for thousands of years, it wasn’t until approximately the 1940’s that research in the field of marine mammals really began.
Humans have been interacting with dolphins for as long as we have known of their existence. In the beginning, human interaction was mainly limited to hunting dolphins.
Learn how dolphins in captivity behave compared with wild dolphins. Stories of boys riding dolphins date all the way back to Roman times, and even today scientific researchers sometimes ride wild dolphins they’re studying.
While dolphin research is still in its infancy, the wealth of information that we may one day glean from these magnificent creatures is unimaginable. One lesson that we can learn from them today, however, could be a key to the survival of our civilization.
Dolphins in the military. We’ve heard for years that Dolphins are incredibly intelligent creatures. It turns out that they are even intelligent enough to serve in the United States Navy, and have been doing so since 1960.
Dolphins rescuing and helping humans. Dolphins are social animals, living in groups called pods and taking loving care of their babies. They’re also known to be very friendly to humans.
Dolphin Assisted Therapy. Originating in 1978 by Dr. David Nathanson, Dolphin Assisted Therapy (DAT) has been used as a therapeutic approach to increase speech and motor skills in patients who have been diagnosed with developmental, physical, and/or emotional disabilities, such as mental retardation, Down syndrome, and autism.
While kayaking on Biscayne Bay during the past two weeks, I saw a bunch of flippers splashing vigorously above the water’s surface, on five different days, near the pilings of a low bridge I often paddle beneath.