Since ancient times, dolphins have held a special appeal for us.
But it's only now,
that we're beginning to uncover the secrets of their private lives.
They're warm blooded mammals like ourselves
and have a brain than in proportion to their body
is one of the largest in the animal kingdom.
They have a playful nature.
They also have a reputation for being highly intelligent.
But are they really that smart?
Dolphins have colonized the world's oceans
from the icy waters of the poles to the warm seas of the tropics.
Like us, they're highly social and live in complex societies.
They can learn complicated tasks.
Yeah. Very good.
They can even understand and copy my signals.
But are these just clever tricks that they've been taught
or do they actually think about what they're doing?
The problem of course is how to judge dolphin intelligence.
It's tempting to compare it directly with our own,
but that would be unfair, for after all
they live in a very different environment.
If we want to get inside a dolphin's head
we have to try and think like them in their world.
Meet Phoenix”­
Good girl.
”­Akeakamai
and Hiapo.
Three bottle-nose dolphins
that have been helping scientists in ground breaking research.
The Marine Mammal Laboratory here in Hawaii
has been studying dolphin intelligence for over 30 years
and by setting carefully controlled tests
they've made some remarkable discoveries.
Okay, Aaliah. Let's send Hiapo over, please.
The first test is one that few animals could tackle
and it involves a rather bizarre selection of objects,
including a cross,
a bowl and a flower pot.
Hiapo's task is to identify which object has been placed inside the box,
but there's a catch: he can't look inside.
Yes!
That's correct. Show me the object please, in the sample box.
Great job. Thank you.
Pretty impressive.
And it wasn't just a lucky guess,
for dolphins have an ability that most mammals lack.
As an adaptation to their underwater world,
dolphins have developed a special sense: echolocation.
By emitting very high frequency sounds and analyzing the echoes,
dolphins create a mental picture.
In effect, they see with sound.
It's a bit like sonar used by ships and submarines,
but far more sophisticated than anything that we have created.
Yes!
The subtleties of echolocation are only revealed
when we enter the dolphins' world.
The shallow lagoons off the coast of the Bahamas stretch for miles.
They make an ideal feeding ground for bottle-nose dolphins.
In these rich seas, fish are plentiful,
but quick to flee from danger.
Hidden under the sand they become invisible.
Unless, of course, you can see with sound.
A dolphin can send and receive sonar clicks with breathtaking speed,
over a thousand per second.
The clicks are produced in the back of the head.
The dolphin focuses the sound into a directional beam.
Water transmits sound exceptionally well
and the picture the dolphin sees in its mind's eye is extremely detailed.
Echolocation is a remarkable ability,
but it's not a true mark of intelligence.
To test for this,
we need to examine the dolphin's more complex thought processors.
Ready?
Back in Hawaii, Akeakamai has been set for a challenge
The scientists are trying to find out if she can categorize objects
Yes
Akeakamai has to decide whether these two objects are the same or different
and then indicate her judgment by touching one of two poles
Time and again, she makes all the correct judgment
even with the objects she's never seen before
So dolphins can recognize similarities between two objects
Correct
But what about the similarities between two animals
Akeakamai like other dolphins is an excellent mimic.
But is this just a simple trick she's been trained to do?
No, dolphins understand the concept of imitate,
as they can mimic an action perfectly,
the very first time they see it.
Perhaps what is most startling about this performance
is that Akeakamai has no difficulty in relating her own body parts to Amy's.
Accurate imitation is rare in the animal world
and requires considerable intelligence.
Wow. Very good.
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery,
it's also the most efficient way
of passing on information within dolphin society.
This Atlantic spotted dolphin will stay with its mother for up to 5 years.
Young dolphins have a lot to learn.
First up is how to find fish.
Understanding the difference between a tasty flounder
and an inedible sea cucumber only comes with practice.
Time for mom to take on a more hands on approach.
She helps her calf by guiding her into position using her flipper
and eventually she gets the idea.
So dolphins use imitation to learn from each other.
But how deep is that understanding?
Phoenix and Akeakamai are being shown the sign for tandem behavior,
doing things together.
In this case, kiss jump,
which they perform in perfect unison.
Now, Phoenix has been shown a sign for create,
which means, make up your own behavior.
Understanding what the word "create" means and being creative
are both traits rarely witnessed in animals.
And who could predict what a dolphin will invent?
So what happens when you put the two instructions together to form tandem create?
Amazingly, Phoenix and Akeakamai display exactly the same creative behavior every time.
But if we watch the pair in slow motion
it looks as though one dolphins may be taking the lead
and within a fraction of a second the other copies.
It's unclear how they decide who goes first,
but this synchronicity is a natural trait in all dolphins.
In the tidal creeks of south Carolina
bottlenose dolphins have learned to coordinate their movements to spectacular effect
These dolphins have developed a hunting technique
that is both complex and daring
As they surge onto the mud,
they sweep a shoal of fish before them
which they quickly snap up before sliding back into the water
Every dolphin beaches on its right side
this way, they all get a fair share of the catch
Hunting with such precise coordination
requires more than skill and cunning
In this mucky waters, it also demands excellent communication
In Hawaii, scientists have developed a sign language
to communicate with the dolphins.
Blacked out goggles are worn
to ensure no cues are given through eye contact.
Yeah!
Akeakamai will now only pay attention to the signs Amy makes.
She's learnt a vocabulary of over 60 words,
including "squirt" and "person".
Akeakamai has to understand what each sign refers to.
There's even a sign for Phoenix.
Okay, you're ready?
Here you go.
Phoenix pipe fetch, which in English means:
take the pipe to Phoenix.
Thus, Akeakamai understands that the sign Phoenix refers to her dolphin playmate?
This proves Akeakamai knows the meaning of individual words,
but does she understand that the order that words appear in a sentence is significant?
Right water left Frisbee fetch.
That means:
take the Frisbee on the left to the jet of water on the right.
She clearly understands the simple instruction
but only a slight change in word order can alter a sentence completely.
Left water right Frisbee fetch.
This time she takes the right Frisbee to the left jet of water.
In the same way that we know 'dog bites man'
is very different to 'man bites dog',
Akeakamai understands the importance of word order.
Few animals have been shown
to have a comprehension of language at such an advanced level,
so why should dolphins?
Most live in complex societies
and so need to deal with group politics and competition.
All of this requires an exceptional ability to communicate.
Dolphins keep in touch with one another
using a wide variety of clicks and whistles.
We are only beginning to understand what some of their words mean.
Scientists think that dolphins even have names for each other.
Perhaps equally important is their ability to communicate
by touch and body postures.
A dolphin mother reaffirms her strong bond with her calf
using gentle strokes, as a human mother does.
We share many traits with dolphins
including one special characteristic.
Humans and dolphins are almost the only species
who continue to play into adulthood.
But why?
This is Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa.
And when the surf is up,
it's time to prove your prowess in the waves.
Surfers dedicate their lives to achieving perfection in the water.
Dolphins can do it effortlessly,
like us, they seem to surf purely for pleasure.
In a similar way, they frequently swim in front of boats,
where they appear to get a kick out of riding on the bow wave.
Play is fun,
it's also the product of an inventive brain and a restless mind.
Scientist think that for dolphins,
play might have a crucial role in strengthening social bonds within a group.
We may not be able to ask dolphins why they play,
but there are some questions we can ask.
This paddle means yes and this one means no.
In this experiment, the scientists want to see
what else the dolphins are capable of understanding.
Ok, Robert,
we'll need a pipe in the basket
Robert is going to ask some simple questions
Akeakamai has to answer yes or no
Okay. goggles down,
Is there a surfboard?
Akeakamai presses the no paddle,
there is no surfboard in the pool
but is there a pipe in the pool?
The answer is yes
Another way to refer to objects is to point
Understanding pointing may seem straightforward
but it can take children up to a year to develop the skill
Chimpanzees are one of the few other animals
that may appreciate what a point means
This time, Adam points to an object
and then asks Phoenix to find a match for it at the other end of the pool
She swims straight past the bowl and selects the correct object
Adam is even able to draw attention to an object
just by gazing at it
These are exceptionally difficult skills for an animal to master
even chimps would find this quite hard
Hoop basket fetch.
Akeakamai is now being given a trick instruction:
take the hoop to the basket.
But there is no hoop in the pool.
Dolphins aren't easily outwitted, so what will she do?
She brings the basket but presses the no paddle.
A smart answer not even the scientists had anticipated.
Yes. Good girl.
This ability to identify problems and come up with novel solutions
has real advantages in the wild.
Off the rugged coast of South America,
upwellings of cold Antarctic currents produce nutrient rich feeding grounds.
Underwater anchovies congregate in their thousands.
They have been driven together by a small group of dusky dolphins
who patrol the edges of this enormous shoal.
It seems as though they're in luck,
but with so few of them they will be unable to contain the fish for long.
Time to call in reinforcements.
It's only recently that scientists have discovered what this behavior means.
These huge leaps can be seen from miles away.
Dolphins not only have excellent hearing,
their eyesight is superb.
And they have nearly 360 degree-vision.
Other dolphins see these leaps
and understand what these signals mean.
They immediately head towards the shoal.
As the reinforcements arrive on the scene
they launch a coordinated attack,
the shoal is split up,
but the dolphins force the remaining fish into a tight ball
and then take it in turn to dive into the ball and feed.
An uninvited guest joins the feast.
This sea lion is quick to take advantage of the dolphins' hard work,
but he's definitely not a team player.
This unique hunting behavior
relies on dolphins understanding what certain leaps represent.
Perhaps in this case, help us catch anchovies.
But can dolphins understand even more complex messages?
The two-dimensional image that you're watching on your television set,
is interpreted by your brain as being a true representation of a person.
Few animals can make such a mental leap,
that's why they're not interested in television.
But what about dolphins?
I'm recoding this in a studio in Britain.
The image captured is then going to be taken and replayed
on an underwater television set to dolphins in Hawaii.
To help the scientists with their research
the pools have underwater windows,
so the dolphins can indeed watch television.
First of all, I've got to get the dolphin's attention.
I'll start-off with something simple.
Blow bubbles.
Well done.
A little encouragement never goes amiss.
This means roll over.
This means butterfly swim.
No problem there, so time to move on to the next level.
Now, I'm going to try and get the dolphin to imitate me.
Some scientists define intelligence
as an animal's ability to go beyond the boundaries of its naturally occurring behaviors.
And for a dolphin watching me on television is definitely unnatural.
Finally, let's try something a little more complicated.
This sentence means: put the Frisbee into the basket.
Full marks for Akeakamai.
Of course an understanding of television has little use for most dolphins.
But versatility of behavior has huge implications in the natural world.
Off the Southern Coasts of Florida,
bottle-nose dolphins have invented their own strategy for catching their prey.
Unlike conditions in the open ocean,
the waters here are shallow and muddy.
But the dolphins turn this to their advantage.
Under the vast expanse of still water,
there are deeper channels,
on the edge of these, small groups of mullet congregate.
What you are about to see, has only recently been discovered.
When a shoal of fish is detected,
one dolphin breaks away from the rest of the group.
As it nears the prey, the choreographed attack begins.
With its powerful tail the dolphin kicks up the mud
and swims in a tight circle around the fish.
As the circle nears completion,
the other dolphins move into position,
lining up on their sides.
Trapped by a wall of mud
the panic stricken fish have nowhere to go, except up.
As far as we know,
this is the only place in the world that dolphins do this.
600 km further up the Florida coast,
the conditions are subtly different
the shallows here are largely covered with seagrass
So, with little mud to stir up
the local dolphins have developed a different strategy for catching mullet
One dolphin swishes its tail sending shock waves through the water
The startled mullet panic and shoal together
Once again, the lead dolphin herds them into a tight circle
and again the fish leap towards the waiting dolphins
This amazing ability to learn new skills to suit different environments
demonstrates mentally abilities
far greater than those possessed by most other animals
How do the dolphins know where the fish are going to leap?
and is it always the same dolphin that drives the fish?
Scientists have been studying this behavior for the last 4 years
but they still have more questions than answers
We are only just beginning
to unravel the extraordinary capabilities of the dolphin's mind.
In Hawaii, the research program is dictated
as much by the dolphins as by the scientists.
Both are learning from each other
and having a lot of fun in the process.
But perhaps, one of the most extraordinary relationships
between humans and dolphins
occurs not with scientists,
but with fishermen off the coast of Brazil.
Nobody quite knows when this unusual alliance began,
but it's a tradition that has been passed on from generation to generation
both human and dolphin.
Dolphins can live for half a century,
time enough to create strong bonds with each other
and with the local fishermen.
The estuary in Laguna is a rich fishing ground.
A group of bottle-nose dolphins work together
driving the fish towards the shore.
The men wait, their nets at the ready.
As the dolphins retreat,
one of them performs a rolling dive.
This is the signal the fishermen have been waiting for.
Only now will they cast their nets.
In this remarkable partnership,
the fishermen gain a rich catch
and the dolphins collect the frightened fish that escaped the nets.
Success depends on a sophisticated level of understanding between both species.
But the entire operation is initiated and controlled by the dolphins.
Few animals have conquered the underwater world as successfully as the dolphins.
They are indeed masters of their environment.
And as we discover more about their complex lives
so it becomes increasingly clear
that they do indeed deserve their reputation for being very clever.
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