22.09.2018 – With all senses?

Dolphins move in a blue multi-dimensional world, from which dangers can lurk at all times from all directions. While being in the group provides some protection, all available senses must be used for protection, but also for orientation and hunting. So the question comes up, whether dolphins can actually orient themselves with all senses?

Dolphins definitely have a good sense of sight. While the eyes are mostly adapted for underwater viewing, most marine mammals can also see well over water. In the depth, however, this sense quickly disappears: the solution is sound localization.

If you look very closely, you can see the tiny little ear hole in the dolphins, but it is believed that these may not be functional. Nonetheless, dolphins have an excellent ability to hear because the sounds are directed to the inner ear via the lower jaw and the middle ear. Their listening range extends in frequencies up to 220 kHz, so they are able to hear sounds far into the ultrasound range. Is that an advantage? It would be in a perfect world for marine mammals, but our seas are getting louder and louder. This is not only a true disturbance and stress factor for the animals, it can make the marine mammals sick, lead to disorientation and make it difficult to communicate with each other. Dolphins can not perceive the smell of fish, since such a sense in water doesn’t make sense. But it would not be nature if there was not an ideal solution for it: the excellent sense of taste!

And to complete the variety of the senses: the sense of touch is truly a treat for the tactile dolphins. Again and again we observe on our tours how the animals are in constant physical contact. This is an extremely important form of communication, as it confirms sympathies and affiliations that are an important basis for teamwork.

This morning we had a large group of Atlantic Spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) that moved through the blue waves of the sea. There was socializing with each other and also mating behavior to watch … AND some SUPER HIGH JUMPS!!

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 no sighting

15:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins

Stenella

09:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins