21.05.2026 – Animal Culture

Published by Eva Koehle on May 27, 2026

Our guests also saw Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), and a loggerhead turtle (Caretta Caretta). Our residential pod of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) also made an appearance on the last tour. These very intelligent and well-studied dolphins have even been observed using tools, such as placing a sponge on their snout to protect it while foraging on the sea floor in Shark Bay, Australia (a study that began in the early 1980s). Another long-term project in the Red Sea found that dolphins may self-medicate by rubbing against specific corals and sponges, which release bioactive compounds that could help treat skin conditions.

Whilst the longest-running study – starting in the 1970s – in Florida, called the “Sarasota Dolphin Research Program,” discovered that dolphin calves stay with their mothers for an astonishing 3-6 years, learning far more than just survival basics. Researchers have documented mothers teaching young dolphins hunting techniques, travel routes, social behaviour, and even how to avoid dangerous fishing gear and boats. These long-term studies became some of the strongest evidence for “animal culture” – knowledge and traditions passed socially from one generation to the next, rather than inherited genetically.

By Eva Köhle

Sightings of the day

Stenella

09:30 Atlantic Spotted dolphin, Short-beaked Common dolphin

Steno

09:30 Atlantic Spotted dolphin, Short-beaked Common dolphin, Loggerhead turtle

13:30 Bottlenose dolphin