It is reasonable to assume that dolphins are the least understood marine mammals probably because they have a complex social behavior. Dolphins are highly gregarious animals with much to discover about their social involvement and the way they communicate with each other.
How Do Dolphins Communicate
Unlike most other animals, dolphins can be compared to humans not only for their communicative behavior but also due to their highly advanced cognitive abilities. One such trait is that dolphins like humans are able to recognize themselves in mirrors.
Like other toothed whales, dolphins also rely upon sounds for communication. One reason might be that sound waves travel almost five times faster through water than through the air. Dolphins produce two kinds of sounds: whistling and clicking. Dolphins primarily generate clicking sound for echolocation or probably stunning.
Dolphin’s sounds range from clicking of 0.25 kHz into the ultrasonic range around 80 – 220 kHz. Some species such as bottlenose dolphin seems to produce a high-pitched whistle known as signature whistle. Scientists believe that the variation in whistle might indicate that dolphins call their counterparts by their names. Sometimes the signature whistles are also emitted to show that the animal is in distress.
However each of the whistling sound is distinguished from the other and as such it describes different behaviors. Scientists have not been able to catch up with the real language dolphins use to communicate. The language they use may or may not have syntax. Nor does it similar to the one humans speak but one thing is for sure that the dolphin’s language must have the vocabulary good enough to communicate with each other.
They swim close to each other in order to communicate.
The whistling behavior might indicate that one of the group members are separated from the group.
Learn more: Dolphin Facts For Kids
