h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dolphins are always percieved as these nice and wonderous creatures but, studies of their behaviour have shown them to often be cruel bulies towards other sea life, particularly different species of dolphin and groups of dolphins will often gang up on a single defeceless dolphin. Dolphins in fact show Jealousy and cruelty which is a sure sing of something close to human intelligence.

Yeh! Dolphins can be cruel to each other Bt no more than humans can be cruel to each other as at least they haven't (as far as we know) had 2 wars which involved almost all of them. They also don't exploit the environment as much as humans. They respond very well to humans and are very gentle to them. So, true dolphins aren't 100% perfect but then it is survival of the fittest out there.

Good point. i guess that doccumentary which told me that disenheartened me from my flipper fueld childhood and made me bitter and cynical. Also, Dolphin World wars, could have happend. Still, teh dolphin ability for cruelty is one of my main arguments as why tehy are equal to humans on teh intelligence scale. (they can type better too)

Hey! I resent that!

Why, its not a cynical view of dolphins, just of humanity. Interestingly enough dolphins have yet to learn genocide.

"Never trust an animal that smiles all the time, it's up to something"

The fact that young (I guess teenage) dolphins swim around in gangs and bully lone members of other gangs just makes them all the more remarkable.

This is a mammal that has a unique name (a whistle taught it by it's mother) , has sex for pleasure not reproduction, can bully others , be mean, cowardly, playful, depressed, happy, helpful, loving etc etc etc .

In other words, they behave like humans , but are possibly smarter.

1) They chose to go back to / stay in , the water, which covers most of the planet surface.
2) They have a language that we have yet to understand, yet they appear to understand some words human words.
3) They have that smug grin on their faces, like they know something we don't...

Orcas (Killer Whales) are also one of the only animals (besides man) who can kill the Sulpher-bottomed (Blue) Whale. They surround it, one above, one below, one to each side, and one in front/behind. The one (or ones) behind the whale nip at its tail, forcing it forward. It can't dive or rise to the surface, or escape in anyway, and so eventually drowns.

Of course, some people would praise this as "intelligent" behaviour ... but when was the last time people participating in a "foxhunt" were called intelligent ...

Ah, but when was the last you saw an orca pod in red jackets, riding horses and shouting "Tallyho" ?

good point

Actually, I saw that last week. But I had gone 48 hours, concious on a caffine binge. I see odd things when I do that.

Just on another point. Someone once said to me dolphins can't be intellignet, after all, we've built cities. Why would a dolphin need a city, to keep the rain off.

Just thought the date of the last post was rather wonderful - September the eleventh.


I mean: it's the same date as the community in "The Beach" was founded.........poor joke but true. I was reading the book out in Thailand in September 2001, so it sort of stuck in my memory.And why isn't 'synchronicity' in my (Collins)dictionary?

Oh yes, we are so much smarter than dolphins!


Any one else here confirm that not only can dolphins be nasty bullies/rapists but that they also (horror of horrors) fart?


Any way, I hope you all have happy and fulfilling lives.


Cheers

WOB

They don't fart that i've seen... but they do blow rasberries. several years ago I being a bit of a smartarse at the time(slightly better now but still insuffrably smug on occasion) thought I'd put some observed behaviour into practice, Dolphins do communicate and one of the commoner things observed is breaching in a particular way + some vocal spangles means "come over here lads,grubs up" ok,ok i'm paraphrasing! but essentially true. anyway, I duplicated the breaching successfully(well chuffed!) in the vicinity of a small family group and sure enough over they came...young'uns held off a bit not wanting to get too close to the funny pink seal playing silly bu99ers, the adults had a look at me,a look around, a look at me, a look around and with me looking a prize pillock because of a distinct lack of schooling delicacies, what I would guess to be the matriarch(boss lady) came within a couple of yards and made a facial fart aka a rasberry at me. lesson learned for me, dont take the pee out of animals bigger than you just in case they forget they're supposed to be gentle and peace loving creature and decide to slap you silly. To be fair that bunch can't of been particularly smart because other groups i've been lucky enough to meet have spotted the food or lack of it way before me, they just seem pitying of poor me working very hard to get enough speed up to breach and turn. (sigh)

This just in!
WILD DOLPHINS TAIL-WALK ON WATER
"... One of them spent a short time after illness in a dolphinarium 20 years ago and may have picked up the trick there."

How is that not nice?!

Wait ... they've learned one thing from us ... could automatic weapons be next?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7570097.stm