12 curiosities about the intelligence of dolphins

Dolphins are one of the most valued and popular animals worldwide. It is an animal species that has inspired the human being since ancient times, with even romantic overtones and often being a symbol of freedom, peace and joy.

Among its many qualities, Dolphin intelligence is one of the most valued, along with his sociability and ability to empathize both with his own species and with others (including humans). And it is that the dolphin has been identified along with other cetaceans, primates, elephants and some species of birds such as the ravens as one of the most intelligent non-human animal species (outperforming many of them in ability). Throughout this article we are going to observe different curiosities and information related to its high cognitive capacity.

• Related article: "theories of human intelligence"

What does it mean to be smart?

Before going on to see different data and curiosities that help to make us see the great potential and dolphin intelligence, we should briefly review what we consider intelligence.

Although there are multiple theories and models in this regard, we can briefly define intelligence as the ability or set of intellectual capacities that allow a living being to adapt successfully to the environment that surrounds him, being able to solve more or less complex problems and use the resources available both in the subject himself and in the environment in the most efficient way possible. This implies the ability, among other aspects, to organize mental content, restructure it and give it shape, and even a certain capacity for abstraction.

Although traditionally this capacity has been linked and focused almost exclusively on the human being, it It is true that there are multiple animal species that display considerable behaviors such as smart. And among them the dolphin stands out, which presents behaviors and a brain structure that make us think of this species as one of the smartest animals. Some are even of the opinion that, if they had had opposable hands and thumbs, they could even surpass our abilities.

Curiosities about the intelligence of dolphins

Most people know that dolphins are very intelligent beings, but the truth is that there are many facts that are unknown or that may draw attention to this issue. Below we leave you with a series of interesting facts about these beings that make us appreciate the high level of intelligence of dolphins.

1. They have a language

Dolphins enjoy not only great intelligence, but also abilities that until a few centuries ago were considered the exclusive preserve of human beings. One of them is that of language. Like other cetaceans such as whales, dolphins have been observed to They enjoy a complex communication system based on their characteristic clicks, being able to identify different elements with them and even apparently refer to their emotional state.

2. They have their own name

Linked to the above, different investigations have verified that the human being is not the only creature that is identified by his peers in a symbolic way, with a distinctive proper name for each of them. us. And it is that it has been verified by registering their language that dolphins use these whistles to address others, possessing whistles that identify other subjects.

3. they use tools

One of the aspects that has been most closely linked to cognitive ability is the ability to use existing resources in the environment creatively in order to achieve a specific goal. Dolphins have been observed to be capable of this, using among other elements marine sponges when looking for food among corals. This requires considerable cognitive skills, understanding the fact that they can taking damage and needing to use an item to avoid it, as well as finding it and giving it a practical use.

• You may be interested in: "Is our species smarter than Neanderthals?"

4. They have sex for pleasure

Most animals reproduce only in seasons when females are fertile. Dolphins, like some primates and humans, are one of the few animals that do not consider sex only in their fertile phases, but have sexual relations in a usual for the sole purpose of gaining pleasure. In addition to this, they carry out different courtship behaviors that they seem to enjoy.

5. Accompany in the last moments

When a dolphin is in its last moments, it is possible to observe how his group tends to help him with their own bodies to get to the surface, so that the creature can keep its blowhole (the hole through which they breathe) out of the water in order to breathe more comfortably to alleviate their suffering. It is a sample not only of the intelligence of the dolphins, but also of the ability to empathize of these creatures.

6. military dolphins

The use of animals in the war context has been relatively common throughout history. They were generally used as transportation or as a fundamental element to cause damage (horses, camels, elephants and dogs are good examples of this) or to communicate (as in the case of pigeons).

Although it is not something especially known by the majority of the population, some cetaceans have also been used in the military. The high intelligence of dolphins and their ability to emit and perceive ultrasound have been used to detect underwater mines, boats and divers. They can also transport and lay mines (fleeing after the laying) and even serve as soldiers to attack divers and boats. It was widely used during the Cold War. and even today some armies continue to use them.

7. They may commit suicide

Although animal suicide is something much discussed, it has been observed that many dolphins seem to decide to end their lives either by stopping breathing (in the dolphin at breathing is not unconscious and automatic but requires control on your part), feeding or even bumping into rocks or objects repeatedly. This requires enough cognitive ability to understand what death is and how it can be provoked, a capacity that dolphins seem to have.

8. they have culture

A sample of the intelligence of dolphins is the ability they have to transmit knowledge to their peers. It has been observed how in some cases of dolphins that have been in captivity how, after having been taught some skill or way of perform certain actions, these ended up being replicated by a large part of his group, having transmitted what he learned from the original.

It has also been observed that the language or the way of communicating can vary between different groups of these animals, being able to observe the existence of “dialects” learned. Likewise, social play, mutual cooperation, taking care of other people's young and the transmission of hunting strategies have been seen as signs of culture within these animals.

9. Their brain structure is complex

The intelligence of dolphins has been an element that has aroused the curiosity of many people, having carried out different analyzes and investigations in this regard. At the neuroanatomical level, it has been observed that they present a very complex brain structure, with a very high level of encephalization (even proposing that in some cases they even have greater intellectual capacity than human beings) and a size that on average exceeds ours. In fact, it is one of the animals with the largest brain in relation to its body size.

10. They recognize themselves in the mirror

Some classic experiments carried out with different animals such as dolphins show that they have the ability to recognize themselves in the mirror. This implies the notion of a me different from the rest, recognition of one's own characteristics and actions and of the fact that a reflection is not a different creature that is imitating us but the product of a refraction. We are before one more sample of the intelligence of the dolphins.

11. They empathize with other species

Possibly we have seen in a movie how a dolphin saves a bather or a castaway from a shark attack or from drowning. Although it may seem like an exaggeration or even a display of romanticism, the truth is that it is something that happens in reality.

And it is that the dolphins They have the ability to empathize not only with beings of their own species but also with those of others. There are multiple cases in which these animals (and we are talking about animals in the wild, not trained for it) have saved the lives of many people by acting as bait or by surrounding a pod of dolphins around a human being in order to protect it. This protective behavior directed at other species has also been observed, such as in some cases of whales attacked by sharks. They are able to understand that another creature is suffering or, in our case, that it is drowning, something that requires a high intellectual capacity.

12. non-human people

Due to the very high level of intelligence of dolphins and their multiple cognitive abilities, different movements and proposals for dolphins to receive the consideration of "non-human persons", making them possessors of the same rights. This has happened in India, where the Central Zoo Authority has banned shows with these animals, as well as in Costa Rica, Hungary and Chile. Different zoos in Spain, such as the one in Barcelona, ​​have also banned these shows.

In addition, some organizations have requested the approval of the declaration of rights of cetaceans, based on the high sensitivity and intelligence of these beings.