I'm violating my one post per day rule, but I had to grab this opportunity to write about this cool new behavior the dolphins at Sea World in Orlando have been observed engaging in, as reported on the Dolphin Bubbles blog I wrote about a few weeks ago. It seems the dolphins have figured out how to form perfectly round bubble rings from their blowholes, and then they play with them as if they were toys. Check out the video!
This is not something that dolphins have been known to do in the wild. The trainers at Sea World first noticed some of the dolphins doing it a few months ago. They have been teaching each other how to make the rings, and even making a bit of mischief with each other by stealing and popping each other's bubble rings. It's amazing to see these animals basically invent a toy for themselves and engage in such playful behavior.
I've heard a lot of stories lately about animals, not just dolphins, exhibiting behaviors that suggest they are more intelligent than we ever thought. Primates teaching their young dental hygeine and the use of tools, and planning abilities such as gathering rocks to later throw at annoying zoo visitors. What's your favorite example of animal intelligence?
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