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Dolphins, they’re just like us. Well, maybe not just like us. But they’re pretty darn smart, and know how to have a good time, too. Young dolphins love to play, from your classic fake fights, to a bit of catch! These behaviors have real benefits for the dolphins as they develop social skills and problem solving abilities. And let’s face it, the footage is adorable.
When researchers use the word “play,” they’re talking about actions that don’t seem to serve any apparent purpose, except to make the animal happy. Sometimes those actions include an element of non-threatening surprise, like jumping out to tackle a friend. And sometimes it’s as simple as moving really fast! If you’ve ever seen a dolphin get the zoomies, it was probably while you were on a boat and it was frolicking in the wake.
Groups of dolphins, both juveniles and adults, often swim in the waves produced not just by fast boats, but whales or sharks, too. It’s called bow-riding, and you might think it’s merely a practical behavior. After all, the water that’s getting pushed out of the way by a big boat or a swimming whale can carry the dolphins along with it, so they don’t have to work as hard to move. But researchers think they’re actually riding these waves for the fun of it. They’re not getting any food out of the interaction, and sometimes the streamlined paths take them away from where they were headed. Once they’ve had enough fun, they need to swim back in the opposite direction. An out of the way adventure that isn’t to snatch up the dolphin equivalent of a free breakfast burrito might seem like a waste of time, but at least for young dolphins, it might bring them a few benefits.
Basically, bow-riding is kind of the dolphin equivalent of “get outside and run around.” It might help them explore their environment, and because it’s done in groups, it can let young dolphins practice the social activities they’ll need to partake in when they’re adults, and cultivate relationships. Sometimes, they may even create the conditions for this type of play. Dolphins have been observed speeding right past sharks toward the ocean’s surface, and researchers think they could be trying to provoke the sharks into generating a wake-filled playground. The sharks don’t seem to mind too much, by the way.
So bow-riding is probably a safer game than, say, play-fighting. Young dolphins and humans both have a tendency to fight for the fun of it. And that play-fighting even looks kind of similar. It’s a lot of exaggerated moves along with chasing, wrestling, biting… you know the drill. But to make sure everyone is having a good time and keep the play fight from turning into a real fight, we giggle. For dolphins, it’s more of a whistle. They can’t produce the panting laugh that we do, so it’s more defined by context. But it doesn’t really matter what it actually sounds like. You just need some way to communicate with your sparring partner, even when you’re not facing each other or when it’s hard to see through murky water. And importantly, this whistle is faster and shorter than anything you’d hear in a real fight.
While young dolphins will reproduce sounds that adults make when they fight, they’ll follow up with that special whistle to let everyone know they’re still just messing around. Interactions like these can help them learn the social cues for what behaviors are cool and what’s crossing the line. While they may learn how to socialize in a group through bow-riding, play fighting teaches cooperation and how to communicate one-on-one. And researchers think it also improves their physical skills for when they really do need to fight.
All of that dramatic fighting and “social play” comes naturally from a very young age. But as dolphins start to mature, their play style does, too. Slightly older juvenile dolphins have been observed to engage in creative problem solving activities, such as playing with objects like wood, balls, and even trash. They tend to play alone, but sometimes they’ll even pass a toy back and forth with each other. This type of play helps them explore their creativity and form social bonds, while also looking incredibly cute! While dolphins haven’t been observed to complete puzzles, humans often find them fun and engaging. If you’re looking for a fun and interactive way to learn, check out Brilliant.org/SciShow, which offers free 30 day trial and 20% off an annual premium Brilliant subscription. Thanks to Brilliant for supporting this SciShow video!