# Explain this dolphin behavior... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311 "2004-11-23T15:33:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/1 "2004-11-23T15:33:57Z")
[pod of dolphins saves group from becoming shark chow](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4034383.stm) Do dolphins protect anything other than people? Eg would they rally around a threatened seal or whatever? Probably hard to get an answer on this as a rescued seal is unlikely to go to the press with it’s story. Has anyone ever seen a report where a dolphin has been seen exhibiting this behavior towards a non human? ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/2 "2004-11-23T17:38:34Z")
I read this interesting story: [Dolphins prevent NZ shark attack](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4034383.stm). In summary, a group of dolphins chased away a great white shark who was menacing three human swimmers, and then protected them by swimming in a protective circle. Why would dolphins do this? Do dolphins perceive the humans as struggling dolphins and a herding/protective behavior induces them to help? A swimming human looks and sounds almost nothing like a dolphin, except for maybe the air-filled lungs (which presumably the dolphins can detect with their sonar). Or have these dolphins been accustomed to humans, and because of previous positive encounters feel a protective attachment to them? What’s going on with these helpful dolphins? ---
**Author:** ![jawdirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@jawdirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jawdirk)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/3 "2004-11-23T18:24:03Z")
Dolphins have a natural hatred of sharks, and are quite adept at fighting them. An adult dolphin is more than a match for a shark. I don’t have any cites, but basically, dolphins just like humans. They frequently go out of their way to save humans. Maybe they think we are cute. They are probably intelligent enough to know that we are intelligent, and anyway, humans go out of their way to save all manner of mammals too, why shouldn’t dolphins? I’ve heard that dolphins are fascinated by the human hand. They can use their sonar to look at the bone structure too. Actually if you think about it, there is an obvious difference between the way dolphins perceive mammals and sharks. They can tell that sharks have no bones. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/4 "2004-11-23T18:24:48Z")
Dolphins are extremely intelligent and friendly species. What most likely is happening is that they do not perceive humans as competitors or dangerous predators, so they extend the same assistance they would extend one of their own in a similar situation. After all, a lot of humans try to protect individual wildlife and we don’t question their motives (picking up injured animals, etc.), so same thing could be going on with dolphins. ---
**Author:** ![violacrane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c57346/32.png) [@violacrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/violacrane)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2004, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/5 "2004-11-23T19:05:48Z")
Maybe the dolphins are altruistic toward humans or maybe they like messing with the sharks. It reminds me of a crow I saw harassing a kestrel. Everytime the kestrel began to hover the crow got underneath, totally wrecking its chances of a swoop. While that was going on another crow started hanging about, watching. I don’t think either crow cared about any mice or sparrows’ lives that got saved. Possibly the dolphins do think humans are cute (if they only knew…) but I think they mostly want to see the sharks leave. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/6 "2004-11-23T23:12:18Z")
I merged an earlier thread by **One And Only Wanderers** with this one, as they were essentially the same. If anyone would care to go to the _new_ first post in this thead, and answer the additional question, that would be helpful. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/7 "2004-11-24T01:15:59Z")
> [@jawdirk](#): > > I’ve heard that dolphins are fascinated by the human hand. They can use their sonar to look at the bone structure too. Actually if you think about it, there is an obvious difference between the way dolphins perceive mammals and sharks. They can tell that sharks have no bones. Actually I have thought about it, and concluded that to a dolphin, the human hand must look _totally freakin bizarre_. I mean, we look kinda like seals. But instead of flippers we have these long fore limbs with these _bony octopuses_ on the end. And we appear to be at least as smart as an octopus, too. To all of you reading this thread, if you like dolphins and like to imagine what things may be like from their perspective, read Startide Rising by David Brin. It’s SF, but it’s _good_ SF. Very good. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/8 "2004-11-24T03:44:17Z")
> [@jawdirk](#): > > They are > probably intelligent enough to know that we are intelligent, and anyway, humans go out of their way to save all manner of mammals too, why shouldn’t dolphins? This is what I was thinking, too. Firemen aren’t plucking kittens out of trees to advance the human race. At the same time, just as some humans won’t think twice about killing a dolphin i.e. fishermen who see them as competition, there have also been cases of dolphins harming humans. I can’t seem to google a cite, but in one of the stories I can recall it happened to someone attempting to “bond” with the animal while swimming with it, and another involved captive animals, so can you really blame them? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/9 "2004-11-24T04:11:52Z")
Can’t explain it, but as a species we probably don’t deserve it. You might as well ask why some people are kind to stray animals . and others are cruel . . . ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/10 "2004-11-24T05:22:41Z")
Since precious few ocean creatures flail about on the surface with it’s head above water, dolphins probably see us humans as being like them, only developmentally challenged. Don’t know if they come to the aid of other marine mammals. Plus, anything to piss off a shark. So long, and thanks for all the fish. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/11 "2004-11-24T05:34:31Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > Since precious few ocean creatures flail about on the surface with it’s head above water, dolphins probably see us humans as being like them, only developmentally challenged. Don’t know if they come to the aid of other marine mammals. > > Plus, anything to piss off a shark. > > So long, and thanks for all the fish. ROTFL . . . developmentally challenged . . . I think you got it! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/12 "2004-11-24T05:50:24Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > Plus, anything to piss off a shark. From what I’ve read, this is only true if the shark is smaller than the dolphins. For the most part, unless the dolphins feel that they or someone else is threatened (like in the OP) then the dolphins will leave larger sharks alone. Larger sharks likewise will generally leave dolphins alone, though the large number of scarred dolphins indicates that there are many exceptions to the rule. Dolphins will beat the shizznit out of a smaller shark without thinking twice about it though. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/13 "2004-11-24T06:20:46Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Dolphins will beat the shizznit out of a smaller shark without thinking twice about it though. Unfortunitly, this makes them more like people. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-dolphin-behavior/276311/14 "2004-11-24T07:00:09Z")
> [@Cat Fight](#): > > At the same time, just as some humans won’t think twice about killing a dolphin i.e. fishermen who see them as competition… Not as competition, but as thieves. I was shrimping with a friend when a few dolphins showed up. He mentioned that he hated dolphins because they would swim into the net and steal his catch. Sometimes, they would chew through the net, causing him to lose the shrimp. I doubt that he landed any though and would have probably just kicked them back into the water if he did.