Dolphins like to watch TV

Dolphins may be just as fascinated by television as humans. They found out from researchers at the Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder in Key Largo, Florida. With the help of underwater windows, where television receivers were installed, scientists played movies and TV programs to 16 dolphins to study their behavior.

The experiment involved 11 dolphinsoin butlonos and 5 dolphinsoin the long-haired. The results of the scientists’ observationsow were published in the journal „Zoo Biology”.

Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder (DPMMR) is an organization committed to protecting mammalsoin the sea and around the world. Deals with research customoin marine mammalsow and cares for injured dolphins and other cetaceans found around Florida. Conducts their rehabilitation and then, if staff deem it possible, releases the animals into the wild. The organization also runs educational programs.

During the survey, the dolphins were shown scenes from a nature film "Planet Earth", Where cetaceans swam in the oceans, also other dolphins. They were issued roAlso, other nature films without animals, as well as some episodicoin the dashowki SpongeBob Kanciastoporty. Scientists wanted to see if the animals prefer realistic images or rather animated ones.

Scientists monitored and analyzed dolphin behavioroin television viewers. Detailsolnie were attentive to certain traits, such as aggression, ktory dolphins show by suddenly jerking their heads or clenching their jaws. They also checked the interest in the postolnymi video footage from the dolphin websiteow. These marine mammals show interest if only by nodding, but squeezing the „forehead” to the wall of a body of water, for whichoThe background was a TV screen, mosee for themselves.

It turned out that dolphins did not favor the programoin wildlife recorded underwater, that is, in their environment. In ogole context of the videos played to them did not cause significant roThe differences while viewing. Instead, the researchers noted rodifferences related to species, age and gender.

Photo. Kelley A. Winship/Wiley ZooBiology

Long-beaked dolphins seemed more moved not so much by the context of the videos, but by the TV itself. Much more often, they nodded or steeled themselves with their heads glued to the wall, for ktoThe toilet seat was located on a TV set. They also often let out bubbles of air. This may suggest zaron interest as well as aggression. Researchers found no special rodifferences in terms of time spent in front of the dolphin screenoin butlonians and their long-nosed colleaguesow, in addition to the fact that younger individuals more readily „sat” in front of the TV.

In contrast, male dolphinoin bottlenose watched TV longer than females. They also reacted more often with aggression from females. Similar roThe differences were also observed in dolphinsoin longhairs. The researchers suggested in the publication that aggressive behavior may result from the dolphins’ inability tooin for physical interaction with the television, or perhaps more so with what is presented on its screen.

The authors of the study believe that since television appealed to dolphins, it may be useful for enriching the lives of dolphinsoin captivity. One would, of course, have to take into account their preferences – That is, to include the resident species in the day’s programoin the aquarium and gender.