Captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) spontaneously using water flow to manipulate objects

Area of Science:

• Animal Behavior
• Marine Mammal Cognition
• Hydrodynamics in Animal Manipulation

Background:

• Many animals, including dolphins, use tactile manipulation with body parts like mouths or hands.
• Previous research focused on direct physical contact for object manipulation in animals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate object manipulation in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).
• To determine if dolphins use methods beyond direct bodily contact for object manipulation.

Main Methods:

• Observation of four bottlenose dolphins at Suma Aqualife Park interacting with food objects.
• Detailed recording of object manipulation sequences, including postures and movements.
• Analysis of methods used to move and retrieve dropped objects.

Main Results:

• Three dolphins exhibited object manipulation without direct body contact, using spontaneous water flow.
• Dolphins employed a three-step process involving releasing, manipulating, and catching objects.
• Methods for lifting dropped objects included mouth movements, head motions, and creating water currents.

Conclusions:

• Bottlenose dolphins can manipulate objects by altering their aquatic environment, primarily through water flow.
• This behavior represents a novel form of object manipulation in non-human mammals, distinct from terrestrial animal methods.
• The aquatic environment's viscosity may facilitate this unique manipulation strategy in dolphins.