Dolphins

March is a Dolphin Awareness Month and Springbok Casino joins worldwide efforts to support these beautiful, highly intelligent marine mammals. Keep on reading to learn a few interesting and fun facts about this graceful, friendly and playful member of the toothed whales family.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

Did you know that dolphin is one of the few mammals, other than human, who has the ability to recognise itself in mirrors? Research involving Bottlenose dolphins has recorded interesting behaviours when these lovely animals would catch sight of their reflections. They would open and inspect their mouths, make a series of movements to observe parts of their bodies they can’t normally see, and when marked, dolphins regularly used mirrors to inspect the marking.

How dolphins communicate

Dolphins communicate by producing a range of vocal signals and ultrasonic pulses. They will whistle in social situations, when separated from friends, and when excited, happy or panicked. Pulsed sounds known as clicks are not only used to communicate with one another, but also for sonar purposes, allowing them to “see” through sound the same way bats do. Having produced a click, a dolphin will wait for the echo to help him form a mental image of objects located in its environment.