# Dolphin Water Rings - Fer Real? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 6, 2008, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479 "2008-02-06T04:46:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479/1 "2008-02-06T04:46:30Z")
These from YouTube: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMCf7SNUb-Q) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XN70wJULvns/hqdefault.jpg "Belugas Blow Bubbles") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN70wJULvns) Is this CGI or for real? (For those unable to access YouTube the clips show dolphins playing with what appear to be “smoke rings” except made of vortices under water - looks great but surely its fake?) Thanks M ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479/2 "2008-02-06T04:56:24Z")
Bubble ring generators: [http://www.bubblerings.com/bubblerings/media.cfm](http://www.bubblerings.com/bubblerings/media.cfm) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479/3 "2008-02-06T05:06:09Z")
It’s for real. > **[UnderwaterTimes | Beluga Whale 'Aliya' Learns to Blow Bubble Rings at...](https://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=57201931084)** > > A Beluga whale at an aquarium in Japan has been wowing spectators with her new trick blowing bubbles ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479/4 "2008-02-06T07:36:50Z")
Yeah - it’s actually surprisingly easy for dolphins to manipulate air bubbles underwater, they can produce the air bubbles themselves, and have plenty of fins, muscle power, and speed for manipulation. From what I understand (secondhand) it works by blowing an air bubble into the vortices created by their fins, and that’s why it’s so easy for them to get a ring shape. … oh, yeah, and a lot of time on their hands… ---
**Author:** ![WoodenTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@WoodenTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodenTaco)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479/5 "2008-02-06T07:46:09Z")
Yeah, it’s real. People consistently underestimate the intelligence of dolphins. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479/6 "2008-02-06T09:31:53Z")
[QUOTE=WoodenTaco] Yeah, it’s real. People consistently underestimate the intelligence of dolphins. [/QUOTE] And the veracity of images/video on the net. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479/7 "2008-02-06T09:38:22Z")
Dolphins might blow bubble rings for fun, but [hunchback whales](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/06/0624_020624_TVbubble.html) do it to catch fish. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479/8 "2008-02-06T09:51:36Z")
[QUOTE=Tapioca Dextrin] Dolphins might blow bubble rings for fun, but [hunchback whales](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/06/0624_020624_TVbubble.html) do it to catch fish. [/QUOTE] How do they get the fish up to the bell tower? ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479/9 "2008-02-06T22:16:18Z")
Fer real, sez Scientific American in a very nice article a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dolphin-water-rings-fer-real/436479/10 "2008-02-06T22:23:19Z")
[QUOTE=wevets] … oh, yeah, and a lot of time on their hands… [/QUOTE] Dolphins have hands?