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Call for questions: FRICKIN DOLPHINS (Patreon)

Published:
2023-03-07 19:21:36
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Dolphins. Oh boy. Here we go. Will this be an 11-part episode? Will I have to change this podcast to just be about dolphins? WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

What will happen is that you will leave dolphin questions below and I will ask as many as I can until my teeth fall out.

Bring it on,

Pappy Podward

Comments

KaCee Roberts

Are dolphins actually horny lil mammals?! If so, why are they so horny?!

Alyssa Ranker

Where do the clicky noises come from? I thought their mouths only lead to their stomach, or is that flim-flam?

Skype a Scientist

What's the real deal with blowhole BJs? (Please don't use the word blowhole BJ and Skype a Scientist in the same sentence, ty, ILU)

Taylor Wade

Why do we like dolphins so much even though they’re actually kinda evil?

Lauren Legg

How did they get such good press? They’re actually such assholes but everyone seems to love them so much just because they’re cute and intelligent

Emma Luck

PLEASE EXPLAIN TO EVERYONE THAT KILLER WHALES ARE BOTH WHALES AND DOLPHINS AND ALL DOLPHINS ARE JUST TOOTHED WHALES -sincerely a tired killer whale researcher

RJ Doidge

Honestly, have the same question

Cate Muenker

So I've ALWAYS wondered: why do dolphins chase boats? Is it play or does the wake of the boat- all those swirls and bubbles- feel good against their skin?

Hannah Matousek

What’s the best way to tell that a dolphin is in a bad mood?

Ava Serra

Why are dolphins known to be so friendly/fond of humans? Or is that a total myth?

Cnidarian Knight

Is it true that dolphins are the only other mammal that has sex for pleasure?

Alie Ward

Can I use your actual name then, Dr. McAnulty?

Jesse Hurlburt

I've always heard that dolphins have sex for fun, like some humans, is this fact or flim flam?

Mushroom Morgan

Is it true that dolphins bite the heads off of fish and use them to... perform self cunnilingus?

Alie Ward

ARE THEY HAIRLESS OTTERS IN THEIR HEART WHAT IS THE DEAL RIGHT

Alan

What keeps dolphins from swimming in fresh water?

Lindsey James

Do dolphins have moral compasses?

Jesse Hurlburt

How intelligent are they on the hierarchy of animals?

Ken Chambers

Are Dolphins actually assholes or is that just propaganda started by the sea lion mafia?

Lindsey James

Are there dolphins that are “kinder” than others? To members of their own species and others?

Patricia Evans

Oh, so many questions. Does anyone know how dolphins really feel about humans swimming with them? Are we like parasites?

Zed Shirogane

How effective is their echolocation? Like an they see the insides of other living creatures? Do they just see our bones all the time, like can they see a baby in a pregnant person?

Abby Grieb

When people “swim with dolphins” are the dolphins super annoyed by that? Should we just let them live their lives outside of captivity? (already guessing the answer is yes) Also how are they so smart!? How big are their brains?

Jessica Duran

Is there a way to save the la vaquita species?

Anfauglir

Are there any species of dolphins that are solitary and only socialize during mating season?

Madison Campbell

Do dolphins have language? To what extent? (This can address either dolphin-dolphin communication and and/or how humans communicate with dolphins

Courtney Carey

What impacts to dolphins or lack thereof have on the ecosystems around them?

Cnidarian Knight

Also how large can pods get? I’ve seen videos of hundreds across the water column

Melissa Hart

Here's my question; I grew up reading and rereading Madeleine L'Engle's young adult novel, A Ring of Endless Light, in which the angsty teenage protagonist communicates telepathically with dolphins. That's false, right? Dolphins and humans can't use telepathy with one another, and I should stop trying to mind-meld with them whenever I'm whale watching off the Oregon Coast.

Erin Burbidge

First time question asker :) Do different dolphin pods have different dialects?

Katherine

Yessss!!!!! WHY CANT WE TALK TO THEM YET? WHY CAN'T I CHAT WITH LOCAL DOLPHINS IN MY AREA ABOUT THE WEATHER?! Essentially, why haven't we decided dolphin language yet?

B. Lion

Dolphin sleep cycles and do dolphins dream/opinions on if dolphins can lucid dream?

Abby Grieb

How do they jump so high out of the water and why do they do that?

Patricia Evans

what makes you think they are assholes?

Gina Woolsey

Why is it that when we think of dolphins that everyone thinks of bottlenose dolphins? Do they just have a better PR team? Related question, what are some other cool species of dolphin that aren't as well known?

Coleen

What’s the latest on their intelligence scale?

Aimee Martin

my only question is how is this Ologist not afraid of dolphins. are you not scared of what they're capable of? does their combination intelligence and capability not spook you out? not even a little?

Heather Horton Whedon

What about dolphins is largely unknown in terms of behaviour? Are they easy to study? I know someone’s gonna ask this as well but I have to ask: what’s the main difference between dolphins and proposes? 🐬

Lily

I need to know more about their milk, anything you can find out about their milk. I understand it’s like a paste?

Ali M

What is with all the horror stories about dolphins trying to have sex with non-consenting humans? Why did my favorite mammal become so R-rated? Upvote on all the above questions re: dolphin seggs.

Katie Sharp

I feel like the more we find out about dolphins and their human-like behaviour, the more they seem like HUGE assholes. Is there any real evidence of any kind of emotion or empathy amongst dolphins, or are we just imposing our own baggage on to them?

Catzi

My name is pronounced Cat-z 1st time question asker, long time listener. 2 pt question. 1 ) Do dolphins actually attack sharks? 2) Is it true dolphins can decide to basically give up on life go to the bottom of the water and just never come back up for air?

Alexandra B

How are dolphins impacted by deepwater drilling?

Greg Walloch

Are dolphins gay sharks? 🐬🏳️‍🌈

Curious Cat

Is it true dolphins only sleep with half their brain at a time?! And if it's true...how? Why? How are their brains structured that that's possible?

B. Lion

How do dolphins communicate with eachother, and is it true that they have names for their friends? (Sorry I have another question I love dolphin science)

Stacy Wicks

FIRST QUESTION ALERT! How close are we to being able to translate dolphin speak (as seen on seaQuest DSV)??

Matt Thompson

Is pictures of dolphins pressing against pufferfish so they can ingest their poison flim flam or do they really do 'drugs' to get high?

Garvey’s

Are they really smarter than my sister?

Curious Cat

And jumping on this...do they really use eels as Fleshlights?

Kristina Weaver

I heard that dolphins have something akin to a name for themselves and for other dolphins. I've even heard baby dolphins have a name for themselves fresh from the womb. Is this flam flam? I sure hope not.

Doctor (almost!) Elder

I hear dolphin mating habits are somewhat akin to those of otters, are they really that bad?

Garvey’s

My 4 year old nephew NEEDS to know

Leila Laco

How can you tell if a dolphin is in a good mood? I know the 'smiling' is flim flam from when I researched the ethics of 'swimming with [captive] dolphins' for a school project.

B. Lion

I’m wondering the same thing!!

R M

Why do dolphins mess with puffa fish? Are they getting high? Do they just like playing spiky underwater fishball? Secondary related question: Are they just giant arseholes hiding behind cuteness?

Allison Babberl

How much longer before dolphins actually take over the world and (hopefully) make it better? Also, second question, how far back do partnerships between humans and dolphins go?

Rachel Kendrick

Are dolphins really the assholes of the sea? And do they only rape each other or do they rape other animals too

Chandler Witherington

How terrible are dolphin shows like the kind that aquariums sometimes do? Should we avoid places that have captive dolphins?

Taylor Wade

I’m so sorry to tell you this but they like to torture and kill for fun. Also rapists. Including humans. I’m afraid of dolphins tbh

Dave DeBaeremaeker

It has been said (by Douglas Adams in Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy) that "man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons." Who is correct, man or dolphins, and why is it dolphins?

Luke LaFemina

Why if killer whales are actually dolphins do we insist on calling them whales? Doesn’t it undermine the dolphin cred?

Rockyt

Is Lisa Frank offensive to dolphin culture?

Jessica Schnaiter

How many teeth are in there?? Also pink dolphins.. tell me everything, please

Chase Houde

I really want to know about the suicidal rates and why dolphins do it exactly, please and thank you so much.

Timmy H.

Why are dolphins such assholes?

Signe S.

Okay, how many types of dolphins are there actually?

Karla Maria Pires

OMG! Am I the first one to post a question? WOW! So, here it comes: I have read once that their dorsal fin is unique. Does that help them tell each other apart, or the clicking sounds they make are enough? Does pee play a role in that too?

Michael MacLeod

Do dolphins actually sleep with only half of their brain? How does that work?

Signe S.

Why do they love swimming in front of boats so much?

Michael

Do dolphins really assault other dolphins and animals?

Dan

First time asking (thanks for bring me joy Ali) Will dolphils or AI take over the world first? (a la Simpsons episode, where my first early childhood learnings on the world stem from)

Leila

FTQA but longtime listener here!! What’s up with dolphins using tools? In 3rd grade I read about dolphins using sea sponges so they wouldn’t scrape their little rostrums and have been obsessed with dolphins since.

Karla Maria Pires

2 minutes in and there were 100 questions! Awesome!

Chris Tanzola

First time question asker! As a matter of evolution, are dolphins (and whales for that matter) better or worse served by needing to surface for oxygen. Will the evolve to eventually breathe underwater?

Chase Houde

Ya know, I wouldn't mind knowing this as well 😅 I want to see if I have been telling this fact right or not

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Why so slippy-looking but not as slippy-feeling? Or is my memory of dolphin skin texture severely lacking?

Hope

are orcas dolphins or whales technically and is that why they’re assholes? and why are river dolphins like that?? (i love river monsters and they seem like they were one of the few things that actually freaked out jeramy wade)

Signe S.

Does this Ologist know that dolphins are in fact olives? #WildGreenMemes crossover edition

Allison Holloway

I read a book when I was a teen that dolphins use jet streams to masturbate, so maybe it's a similar sensation?

Ali Vessels

Why was every middle school girl in the 00s obsessed with dolphins? Why did we all want to become marine biologists to study dolphins? And why did dolphins have to turn out to be such dicks?

Debbie Helm

Are dolphins related closely to other species? What if a dolphin mated with an orca or other whale? Could they reproduce?

worst_mess_ever

There are reports that dolphins have committed suicide in captivity, due presumably to depression around circumstances. Is this genuinely a thing? How incredibly depressing. Shame on humanity.

Mary Concannnon

first-time question asker --> What characteristics define dolphins as dolphins? Like what makes orcas dolphins instead of whales?? Also is it really true that they have sex for fun?

Lani Bouwer

Where are we at with communicating with dolphins? Like how do we expect to talk to extraterrestrials if we can’t even talk to other sentient species on earth?

Kate Webb

I 100% came here to ask this question for my middle school self.

Winnie’s a Witch

is dolphin watching/dolphin sightseeing generally ethical? wild ones, not in captivity, like those boat trips etc :)

Joe Porfido

Are dolphins people? I submit yes.

Cate Muenker

A lot of this thread is giving me the impression that dolphins are Horny as Hell, so I don't doubt it!

Kyle

I've heard that a dolphins esophagus and trachea are 2 completely seperately tubes. Blow hole only goes to lungs, mouth only goes to stomach. Is this true? If it is I'm so jelly because I choke on stuff I'm trying too drink way to often.

Joe Porfido

Do you have a better name for the Common Dolphin? Because I think they are gorgeous and deserve a more elegant name.

Rozelyn Hesby

SO EXCITED FOR DOLPHINS 🥹 are the “natural behaviors” dolphins perform in wildlife parks (RIP Marine Africa USA - IYKYK) really natural behaviors? If so, what are the behaviors in the wild & what are they for? Are there are a lot of red balls floating above the ocean waiting to be snoot-booped Mario style or places to Dukes of Hazzard slide up on?

Lene Olszeth

How great is their pr team? They're the douchebags of the sea but everyone loves them?

Julia Talbot

What kind of diseases do dolphins get (and are their vaccines??). Also, what about old age- do dolphins get dementia? Gout? Arthritis? Is there such a thing as an incontinent dolphin? Also dolphin organs - how does that compare to humans anatomy - do they have any "extra" organs (and what do they do)? Are their any organs that we have that they don't?

Kate Georgia

Have dolphins actually been trained for military purposes or is that a myth? I want to believe they could do it, but I don’t want to believe they were forced to, ya know?

Melanie C

Can we discuss the mating habits of dolphins? Living in Florida, they’re known as beautiful, intelligent, but also rather rapey creatures…is that true or just a FloridaMan tale?

Larissa

Is there anywhere that you can swim with dolphins that isn’t going to support unethical dolphin treatment?

Julia Talbot

If dolphin culture included the arts as we humans define them, do you think they would be more inclined to be singers, dancers, sculptures, painters (etc...)? Also what about a dolphin choir, could that be a thing?

Allie Paul

This!! I need to know if I can participate or not!!

Pavka34

To back this up, I went with a friend on a moonlit canoe trip into a bay full moon full of dolphins, and they kept trying to flip over the canoe. I think they wanted the hairless apes in the water with them.

Char Harrison

Māui and Hector’s dolphins (some of the smallest dolphin in the world) are fairly endangered and unique to New Zealand. What can we do to help lessen the decline of the species? How do we make a difference as an individual?

Pavka34

I’d heard they had sex for fun (like some primates). If they’re rapey I’ll be sad.

Zoe Jane

Dolphin Doulas! Let's talk about the magical intuitive world of dolphins supporting labor and birth.

Pavka34

Seriously, how smart are they? I still remember seeing Flipper on reruns and hearing they were smarter than us.

Trevor Hagedorn

What are dolphins purpose/function in their local ecosystem?

Kari Henke

Tell us all about the pink dolphins! Are they actually dolphins? Why are they pink? How are they adapted to live in fresh water?

Allie Paul

So long and thanks for all the fish! 😃🐠

Julia Talbot

Would you say that dolphins are competitive (v. more collaborative) and under what circumstances are they (more) competitive versus being (more) collaborative? Are they ever competitive for the sake of competition the way we humans are?

Dakota Harriman

Do they have dialects like some other cetaceans?

Neil Baunsgard

Lets talk about dolphin sex! Is it true that dolphins have sex for fun and not just for procreation?

Ashley Sayre de Rivas

Are Dolphins as forcefully.... ummm... sexual as I've heard? And do they like.... KNOW that they're being told No but just don't care? *dies*

Allie Paul

Hi again almost name twin Alie! Have there been dolphin speech studies other than the doomed NASA one? If so, have they had any success?

Pavka34

Also, did the Ologists watch Flipper growing up? Did they like it? What is their favorite/least favorite dolphin movie? I’m guessing it might be Jaws 4 (or was it 3? 5?) but could be wrong.

Angela Clark

I've heard of dolphins playing games, like making bubble rings and poking pufferfish for a good high. How are those things linked to quantifiable intelligence? Also can we PLEASE talk about Margaret Lovett and the dolphin love shack?

ariel.vanzandt

Are river dolphins and marine dolphins different from each other?

Elizabeth Edwards

My 8 year old wants to know if scientists have deciphered any of dolphins' language. Question from Louis (pronounced Louie), 1st time question asker.

Logan Dudley

Has there been any positive change regarding the taiji dolphin hunts in Japan? Any hope of the hunt being phased out?

Scott Hanley

Are dolphins really the sex offenders of the sea that will kidnap and murder a human down below just to rape them? Or are the YouTube videos reporting this just click bait?

Silly Little Bard

This is more dolphin-adjacent, but...are there aspects that are problematic about how we measure animal intelligence in comparison to humans? Also, how do we know that a dolphin (or any animal) is "having a conversation" with a human rather than just imitating behavior for treats?

Hannah McCain

This is an episode for 13-year-old me. I was absolutely OBSESSED.

Cliff Thornton

Are they actually happy animals or are we all just fooled by that adorable permanent grin they have?

ariel.vanzandt

How are the orca? I live in the PNW and I worry.

Shannon O'Grady

How endangered are dolphins? How closely related are dolphins and porpoises? How do we know that the have sex for pleasure (or is that flim-flam?) I love that they are always so close to shore! Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Will Clark

Can dolphins be linked via evolution to a particular land mammal?

Cat Baklarz

Please talk about vaquitas

Laura Kinney

Dolphin, porpoise, whale- what’s the diff? Also, if you read the word “dolphin” enough times in a row does it suddenly look like it should be the name of a neurotransmitter? Like a combo of dopamine and serotonin?

Cat Baklarz

Please talk about dolphin free tuna

Cat Baklarz

Please talk about gay dolphins!

Nita Chen

Greetings, BUMP!

Cat Baklarz

Please talk about dolphins in captivity! I work at an aquarium and I would very much like guess to stop asking if we have dolphins. No, we don't!

Shannon Siegel

Dolphins following ships! Is it really a warding off sharks thing they do or something else?

Deacon Raid

I also had a question about the forceful/coerced copulation but I see that it’s been asked. I wanted to know about their social groupings. I know orcas are matriarchal pods and the females go through menupause. Is that the norm for all dolphins species? I’ve heard of dolphin gangs of young males?Aren’t sperm whales also just really big dolphins (if we are using dolphin as a synonym for toothed cetaceans).

Beau Jarvis

I hate to say I’m curious too

Nita Chen

Greetings, Do dolphins develop Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease?

Shannon Siegel

Will wild dolphins 'perform' for people for fun when they see boats and all or are they just jumping around and all for fun.

aa.brown.bb

What is your take on the 1961 study with dolphins on LSD to see if they'll form more human language? I've heard that dolphins have some language of their own, giving each other distinct nicknames, but humans tend to be self-centered and conform nature to ourselves. Do you think it a "SMH" moment in science or helpful in understanding what maybe they're capable of?

Alexandre Catulle

I'm just putting it out there : Jennifer Coolidge as a dolphin! Any thoughts? 🤣

Adam Foote

How are Amazon River dolphins related to the others? It seems odd to me that dolphins/whales are all in the ocean/saltwater except these pink weirdos. Or am I wrong about that too? Are there other freshwater dolphins?

Stephanie Trout Berman

I'm going "batty" trying to figure this out...is the dolphin echolocation similar to a bats way of navigating?? Is that a dumb question???

Nita Chen

Greetings, How do dolphins communicate with other cetacean species like orca? Can they? Are they like Pokémon and have some sort of mystic universal language?

ALLISON ARKUSH

Yes!! Topics and questions interest: Captivity convo, training and use by military, social and cultural communication and behavior, clear up myths and disinformation about the 1970s Lilly and Lovett experiments.

Nita Chen

Greetings, By the way, I thought it was funny that in Japanese, the kanji for dolphin translates to “sea pig” in mandarin.

Nita Chen

Greetings, what is the most ecological friendly way to observe dolphins without ruining or disrupting their habitat?

Julia

Me wanting to know about dolphin sexlives. Do dolphins get freaky with the same sex? something I’ve heard but never heard confirmed.

Nita Chen

Greetings, for the plebeian interested in cetaceans, what is a good way to learn more about them?

ALLISON ARKUSH

Brain development and neurodiversity?play behaviors, sexual behaviors (I’ve often heard of dolphins being described as raping other dolphins…)

Megan Dawe

What ever happened to the linguistics work (tracking clicks, etc. and teaching dolphins to use sound boards) that used to be featured on nature shows in the 1980s? Like can we chat with dolphins now?

Cat Baklarz

Oh also how did the pink amazonian and long boi river dolphins happen?

Christa Brazier

Can't wait for this one! My daughter is dolphin obsessed!

Matt Youngblood

A friend once told me there was a researcher who discovered that dolphins have 'names'- like certain click patterns were only used around certain dolphins. I heard the researcher then tried to give herself a dolphin name, and the dolphins sort of tolerated it. I have not fact checked any of this, but would love to hear the full story if true!

Laura Rosenbaum

How would you recommend implementing policy prohibiting illegal dolphin trading when it is an international crisis?

Heather Weeks

Are dolphins and porpoises closely related or is this a result of convergent evolution?

Nathan-Andrew

I second any dolphin language question.

michaela a. gabriel

Do different species have different "languages", or "dialects"?

Paige Price

What's with this Dolphin assisted birth? That sounds terrifying, is there actual research behind this?

Marisa

Are dolphins good or evil? I’ve heard they sometimes they save people and sometimes are ruthless.

Ryleigh Whitfield

Omg omg omg! THEIR MELONS! ECHOLOCATION!! Please explain how this works because it sounds like science fiction ❤️

jimmyoconn

MARIAH CAREY speaking to dolphins?! I know you already discussed Mariah on voice boxes with Ronda Alexander, but I am so interested about if she actually made that dolphin happy or not, thank you 💛

Spencer Parks

I gotta know what we've deciphered from their speech. Have we done high frequency/high quality audio records and slowed them down to detect patterns that are too high/fast for the human ear to hear? How soon until we can figure out what they are saying and then use AI to create artificial dolphinese to talk back to them?

Krystie Sketches

The "swim with dolphins" packages people get on vacations, they're all captive and likely unhappy dolphins, right? If so, people need to know! My tween sons Rowan and Tristan love your podcasts!

Francesca Perrelli

If the ologist waxes their legs, once they are done do they feel 'slippry like dolphins'? Also are dolphins aliens? Dadward you stay the best well done on harassing scientists at the airport!!!!!

Hannah

How do they make their noises, squeaks and everything, since they breath through the hole on top, but the squeaks appear to be controlled by the mouth?

Kristina Kunze

When dolphins turn off half of their brain to sleep, which half turns off and is it always the same half? Do they have to remain moving while sleeping like some sharks do? Do freshwater and saltwater dolphins live similar lives? Are their hunting and social patterns the same?

Jocelyn Alcantara-Garcia

Are they jerks to some species? Or just very protective of their kin? I think I watched a video of a pod going after a whale. Also, raise your hand if you are MAD every time you watch folks in some exotic destination grabbing dolphins fins? (Hand raised) How can researchers be sure this does not hurt?

Carla DM 101

If they echo locate an object can they forward that echo to another dolphin? Or would they inerpret it with a sound to another dolphin? Like when we see an object we tell someone what it is by naming it. Can they send "pictures" to each other?

ALLISON ARKUSH

Dolphins being esp interested in pregnant humans when encountered swimming together

Hannah

How closely related are dolphins and whales? Do they have similar evolution / came from the same evolution so they also at one point had an ancestor that walked on land?

Hannah

Bit off topic, but a curiosity and I don’t know where else it would fit - are manatees and dolphins related?

Nathan-Andrew

Is it right to judge dolphin behavior by European-American standards and expectations?

Isabelle Leclerc

Dolphin drama! Since they are such intelligent animals, I'm so curious to know about their social structures, whether they have "in" and "out" groups. Do they reject certain dolphins from groups based on personality or perceived transgressions? Seriously, what is their geopolitical discourse like?!!?!

Kendall M

Are dolphins as smart as everyone on Twitter says? Are they smart enough to have morals the same way humans do?

Jessi B

Omg- can you PLEASE talk about Margaret Howe and John Lilly and how crazy that dolphin experiment was back in the 60’s?!

Betsy

I was looking for this question 😂

Matt Ceccato

How safe is a dolphin at a place like Sea World or an aquarium compared to a dolphin in the wild? Have dolphins moved from the status of "Least Concern?"

Brooke

Do dolphins have baby teeth?

Hannah Feldman

What's the "meanest" thing (according to human norms of behaviour) you've ever heard of or seen a dolphin do?

Natalie Snyder

first time question! i feel v very skeptical toward dolphins - ever since i grew up with the one Simpson’s episode where they took over the world & that little constant smile makes me not trust them. are they actually evil? are they similar to orcas in that they bully other animals?

Jacintha Jaa

Are Orcas really in the dolphin family?

Adrien WikiSleep Sala

I am betting I'm not alone in asking this one, but I've heard since I was a kid that dolphins are one of the few mammals (outside of humans) who have sex simply for pleasure. Is that true? Do dolphins doink for fun?

Emily Palin

what do you recommend for the future (or lack there of) of cetaceans in captivity? how do you feel about moving towards sea pens?

Danae DeJournett

I was coming here to say the same thing! The Dollop episode about it is off the wall 😂

Leah Anderson

Why do I cry and jump up and down every time I see a pod of dolphins?

Susan K.

You say dolphins, I think...Lisa frank and the obsession that turned every kid into a marine biologist hopeful.

Charlie

Is dolphin skin like shark skin that self repairs quickly when cut? could you teach a dolphin morse code if you tried hard enough? what is their maximum speed? Do dolphins ever team up with other fishies, whales or the like in order to gain things they might not otherwise get??? they socialise with humans sure but what about other clever creature 🥹

Danae DeJournett

Do dolphins actually help humans stuck in the water? Are there dolphins that drown people for fun? How smart are they? What’s the smallest species of dolphin? I think the largest is the orca, right?

Lise Bakker (pronounced Lease Bokker)

First time question asker! I really really wanna know more about their language skills - I’ve heard they communicate with sound just like us! Is this right or are we just massively projecting our big human egos and assumptions onto these super cute smart mammals?

sageandsesameoiel

my roommate really wants to know about the dolphine's skin. what is it composed of? how does it function? is it an organ like human skin? how does it stay so smooth? is it smooth? what does it feel like??

Alena Litin

Is Douglas Adams‘ ranking of species intelligence accurate, i.e. dolphins are the second most intelligent species (after mice)?

Eleonoora

Trigger warning: I’ve heard rumors that dolphins have sexually assaulted humans? Is that in any way true?

Savannah Glenn

As a shark lover, I can’t help but wonder how dolphins and sharks interact with each other? I’ve heard those stories about gangs of dolphins taking down sharks, but could that really happen?

brook brennan

I would like know about dolphin communication and culture. Do most dolphins communicate with the same set of sounds or are they pod specific? I saw a show once about orcas passing down “culture,” and that you could tell an orcas’ birth pod based on how they hunt… are there similarities in dolphin cultures?

Amy Zucker Morgenstern

OMG FRICKIN DOLPHINS!!!! Are those "Swim with wild dolphins!" programs bad, good, or neutral for the dolphins? Sign me AZM.

Emma Garschagen

I've seen dolphins seemingly 'play' around boats underway - why do they do this? I also heard a story about how dolphins will encircle a mother during birth to protect her and the calf - how much do we know about this sort of behavior? What does it tell us about dolphins?

Marianne Thomas

This is so exciting! I heard they sometimes use puffer fish to get high? Also, what's the latest on the pink ones in the Amazon?

Sydonie S.

Can dolphins be taught to understand and respond in human language? I've heard of the experiments back in the 1960s to teach a dolphin English and, besides all the problematic scientific takes on those experiments, how plausible is this?

Zenax

First time question. 1.Do dolphins sometimes actually try to sexually assault swimmers??? Also 2. How dangerous are dolphins? As we are taught that dolphins are nice to humans, but they are still wild animals. 3. How long can dolphins hold their breathe? 4. How deep can they dive? 5. How many species and subspecies of dolphin are there? 6. What's the difference between dolphin and porpoises? 7. Whats the best thing about dolphins? 8. Whats the worse/scariest thing about dolphins? Hugs Sina

Emmett M Wald

So from what I’ve heard, dolphins are really kind of assholes, especially to other species (pranking, sexual assault, etc.). Is that just me anthropomorphizing? Are we able to assess whether dolphins have malicious intent or understanding of consequences?

Justin Saucedo

What is the historical relationship between humans and dolphins? Were all homosaoiens as enamored as we are now? Were they ever a source of food? What do they taste like? How long until we can ride them?

Julia Vollmer

I was a whale watch narrator on Maui and we noticed that bottlenose dolphins consistently hung out with humpback cow/calf pairs. Is this common anywhere else? Why do they do this?

Frenck Hendrix

How much problems are we causing with noise pollution? And what can we do to reduce the impact of it?

Kelli Brockington

Since so many variety of dolphins out there - why is the go to visual always used are just the bottlenose ones - are all dolphins dicks or just bottlenose ones?

Julia Vollmer

Why do spinner dolphins spin? Is there an evolutionarily advantage to the behavior?

Rachel M

What’s the latest in how smart we think dolphins are? I know they’re pretty smart but should we on the lookout for signs of sapience and civilization or no?

Adam Lee Allan-Spencer

First time asker (does that work?). Id like to know more about the LSD experiments on dolphins. What did it really teach us?

Krista Jones

What’s happening when dolphins circle fish? Are they just trapping them and going at it like an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet or is there a whole-ass strategy involved? The process is both impressive and terrifying.

Racheal Davis

Would love to hear a deep dive about how the heck they communicate, is the idea that they have telepathy flim flam? I’ve always wondered

Alex Morales

I recently heard that adolescent dolphins behave like teenagers in that they go through phases of the “cool” new thing to do together. I heard that one year they thought it was fun to mess with boats and the previous year the trend was different. Is this true and do adult dolphins go through similar trends?

Teesha Coot

Do dolphins actually like performing for us? Or are we being mean to them by making them perform? 🤔

Jen Clinton

Did we all want to become marine biologists because of Lisa Frank's technicolor dolphins? (raising my hand)

Jen Clinton

I'd also love to know more about dolphins being trained for the military! Wikipedia says "The United States and Soviet militaries have trained and employed oceanic dolphins for various uses. Military marine mammals have been trained to rescue lost naval swimmers, guard navy ships against enemy divers, locate mines for later clearance by divers, and aid in location and recovery of equipment lost on the seabed."

Emilee Lance

Are dolphins really the most sexually deviant creatures besides humans? I have heard that they will not only rape other dolphins, but other specials as well. Why is this?

Vincentrosaurus

Do dolphins have regional accents? Do they (at least in one species) all speak the same language? (Also haven’t had a question read out yet, just cite Vincent Hill or Vincent please)

Taylor Kendall

I got drunk with a bunch of marine biologists at a bar in Juneau forever ago and the answer I got was; go back to sailing ships. I too will be interested to learn a more sober opinion.

Beck

Is anyone working on translating their language? I would like to speak with them

Jen W

Do dolphins lose their teeth like we do (have only a limited number of them)? Or like sharks (unlimited teeth)? Or like beavers (have to wear them down)? Or something else?

Jen W

Is dolphin milk super-duper thick? How does nursing work underwater? Do baby dolphins get weaned really quickly or do they stay babies for a long time?

Mark Hewlette

Just how intelligent are Dolphins? What evidence do we have of their intelligence? If they had opposable thumbs, would they build cities?

Average_pi

Can we actually communicate with folding? I saw that on a documentary. Also do doldrums have different dialects? I saw that on a documentary too.

Steven Shelley

First time question asker: do dolphins really use puffer fish to get high off their toxins or is it more so just them using them as a play toy? And if so are there any other dolphin narcotics out there in the sea that they tend to chase after?

Michael Sherman

I've heard some pigeons have "religion" or superstitions. Do dolphins have superstitions or anything like that?

Dominique McDermott

How do they feel about the Simpsons epsiode where dolphins take over humans and how likely is this? imdb.com/title/tt0763040/

Rachel

A couple of years ago my friend and were in a boat and a dolphin came up to the side, and I kid you not, we saw the eyes of god that day. We met god and god is a dolphin. We cried. It was a life changing moment. How do dolphins have such majestic powers??

Monica Olvera

This. Are cats or dolphins better poised to take over after humans runs their course?

Lizzy Martinez

To add to this, when did dolphins become the favorite animal of so many people, especially when they were kids?!

kaitsometimes

Are spinner dolphins douchebags?

Rebecca Roehm

Are there more dolphin souvenirs or sea turtle souvenirs?

Amber

Why are dolphins bullies to other marine life but chill with humans?

Liz Ross

I didn't know Hawaii had bottlenose dolphins! I only ever saw the spinners (lived there for 10 years).

Jocelyn Taylor

Are dolphins the real predators instead of sharks and whales?

Sarah Hoyer

What's the weirdest/ most unexpected thing you've learned about dolphins?

Becca Van Tassel

I was a little on the obsessive side about dolphins as a kid. It was a dream to swim with them one day but I’ve heard this isn’t so great for dolphins. Curious if you could tell me why or why not?

Beth 🌻

Please let this be at least a 3 part episode for sure!

Katie Hultman

I read that sometimes dolphins hunt in groups of over 1,000. How terrifying are they really and who is their PR person? Does each dolphin have a set job in their pod like bees do? Could they take over the world if they wanted? I also would like to know what is happening with their multiple stomachs.

Olga

Do they actually get high on puffer fish?? I really hope so lol

Beth 🌻

I am interested in communication with dolphins, since so much of their language has been observed and documented, how much can we have conversations with them, within their own language, not just hand gestures like at sea world and what have you. Like can we collect their frequencies with technology and speak to them this way ? If so, what kinds of frequencies have been tested ? Maybe this wouldn’t make sense at all, but I’ve always been curious! Thanks

Kelly Shaver

I can’t be the only one who became obsessed with dolphins after reading The Ring of Endless Light as a kid!

Kelly Shaver

What is dolphin social structure like?

Kai Kishimoto

I would definitely add bonobos as mammals that have sex for pleasure/social bonding

Sophia A.

So I got to see spinner dolphins while snorkeling one time and my question is how?? What is the physics and biology of being able to move like that?

Mia DiCaprio

I was thinking about how humans love to eat ungulates and dolphins evolved from that group, so do people hunt dolphins for that or any other reason? Hoping they would be too crafty and it would be illegal worldwide.

Kai Kishimoto

Good question, I'd also like to hear about underwater nursing!

Tegan

Was there any reason that dolphins became the dominant animal and motif of the 90s and 00s?

Tegan

Could dolphins take over the world like in that Simspons episode?

Al Hamm

Why do bottle nose dolphins attack porpoises?

Liz Ross

What are otters doing?!

Hester Dingle

How are dolphins used for national defense? What other cool jobs do dolphins hold?

Kayla Pilcher

Anything we can do in daily life to help dolphins? Reef safe sunscreens? Don't use straws? What can we do?

Courtney Horowitz

From Rory (first time question asker and Smologist who sometimes - read “always” also listens to the sweary ones) - Are dolphins REALLY the most intelligent animal in the sea or is that film flam? If they are not, what creature really is the most intelligent animal in the sea?

abe

wound healing -- heard that marine mammals are great at epithelial remodeling. what do we know about the cell bio + evolution of this?

Mallory Nettleton

What do we know about dolphin language and how they communicate?

Specs Owl

What frequencies do they emit, and how far does it travel? Also, do they have individual "voices" that others can recognise?

Specs Owl

What do they smell like?

Deli Dames

what percentage of dolphins give dolphins a bad rap? i heard they do blowfish drugs, rape, and kill for fun!

Deli Dames

do you think dolphins have a telepathic form of communication?

Ashley Oki

Do orcas really have memes???? I heard this online where they have jokes that the others will mimic- the one mentioned was like chilling with a dead fish on their head and others started mimicking it. Is this a real thing??? Do orcas have inside jokes that they share with one another???

Ashley Oki

Were dolphins hunted in the same way that whales were?

Erin Perry

What's the deal with rapey dolphins?

Patrick

Do dolphins live in groups? Do they gossip about other dolphins?

Dr Laura M Smith

Are there some examples of interspecies communications among dolphin and toothed whale species? How similar are acoustic signals among species? Can they understand each other? Do they ever work together to hunt?

Maggie Mauldin

Very excited first time question asker here: I was super icked out by dolphins after reading about that one that lived in a house with a human lady. Didn’t the dolphin wanna bang her? What was that all about?

Dr Laura M Smith

I heard they can use olfactory senses as well as acoustic to recognise each other. Is it true they can recognise other individuals by the smell of their pee?

Dr Laura M Smith

Also, tell us more about dolphin-human interactions please! There is a long history of dolphins and fishers (esp Indigenous fishers) fishing/hunting together. Does this also cause conflict?

Dr Laura M Smith

Apparently there's a dolphin in the UK that tries to speak porpoise?!

Jessie Rack

I want to know about this too! Something about animal-human commication? Was LSD involved somehow?

Lee T.

So I’ve learned that salmon can smell a single drop of their home waters in the ocean (very impressive); where do dolphins breed and do they return there? How far do they travel and why? Do they really have sex for pleasure? And if so, do we know why? How many species are there? What happens to the ones in captivity?

Emily Jane

This has probably already been asked a bunch, but is a dolphin gonna try to fuck me if I’m swimming with them? Please don’t roast me it’s a genuine fear!

AnnAlien

I need to know who you're talking to first! Because is it the person you can ask about the 3D dolphin vagina model? Or about testing tracking tag attachments by shooting them into dead dolphins?? Or about inflating dead dolphin lungs and putting them in a hyperbaric chamber to see how they respond to decompression sickness??? Or maybe about health studies on wild dolphin populations and how the males seem to like the rectal thermometer???? So many podsibilities depending on who you're going to sea! ;)

Marxe Orbach

Are there any examples of a dolphin humanely kept in captivity? I saw a few recently at the aquarium and they looked really sad in a big swimming pool with no enrichment

Maggie Mauldin

I’ve been scared of dolphins since reading about that water-house experiment!!!

Between Dumplings

This happens when they are stressed and mishandled. It happened to a woman I used to work with, she was traumatized!

Between Dumplings

Did anyone else watch Flipper? I vaguely remember it. Schlocky 60’s TV aside - I think they’re pretty intelligent. How intelligent? Could they make sentences like dogs on those large word pads?

Shelby Mills

Okay, to clarify, I mean female dolphins nursing baby dolphins.

Between Dumplings

Oh please don’t tell us if they turn out to be raped-asshats like otters. Please? I had an iridescent pink dolphin pin given to me by some aunt when I was super young, felt very grown up.

Mary of the Grapefruit

Are dolphins really assholes? We see stuff in the news and reddit, but why would they be like bad motorcycle gangs?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

How real are the dolphins learning human language studies? Are they like adorable slippery parrots mimicking sounds? or like chimps learning sign language?

Kalila Elahi

Do dolphins have dolphin best friends? What about enemies?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

A year old calf was stranded in a ditch at my Research Reserve after some storms last year. There was much speculation about how it was separated from its mother and got so lost to swim up a long tidal ditch. What is the parent bebe relationship like for dolphins? Do parents peace out under too much stress?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Dolphins have a reputation for being super smart and super playful and silly. Do they have a 'real' people like sense of humor? Are the mischievous little trickster gods of the sea playing jokes on each other? I have mental images of them kibitzing and gossiping about each other's antics.

Anna Elizabeth

why are we more scared of sharks than dolphins? and why are dolphins not on an FBI watchlist?

Katie Ramp

How close are we to understanding dolphin communication?

Emily P

Ok so there was a story a while back in Australia where a group of male dolphins had started wearing sea sponges on their heads to impress the ladies- is this true? What do you think this tells us about dolphin intelligence/behaviour?

Emily P

Liz, I am sorry they are both super rapey. Please reseach this at your own risk. Your innocence will be unrecoverable.

Camille Eckel

Eeeeee eee eeee eeeeeee eee eeeeeeeee ee eeee?

Emily P

😲 Ethical animal treatment in entertainment still has a long way to go! I liked the ologies episode on dogs for this!

Rebecca Schon Kilde

Are they matriarchal? Do the boys swim off and meet new groups like elephants?

Juliet Simpson

I've always loved the Douglas Adams quote, “For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whist all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.” So how smart are dolphins really? *First time question asker :)

G Connolly

I’m kinda afraid of dolphins… is this warranted?

Dantooine

Are they so smart? Why are they so smart? What kind of things are they smart about?

Dantooine

Are pink dolphins real?

Angela Riedle

Do dolphins really know the point of life on earth as the movie Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy would have us believe? What is your favorite and least favorite portrayal of dolphins in media? Super excited for this episode I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I was younger. Obviously I realized that zoos aren't suitable for dolphins to live, except maybe in the most extreme circumstances. Do you feel that amusement parks and zoos should ban the continued capture of dolphins like was done for orcas?

Julia Taylor

DOLPHINS DOING DRUGS?! (Also first time Q asker:))

Heather Matzen

My Marine Biologist daughter has always said Dolphins are the assholes of the sea....True or just rude???

Jenna Congdon

How complicated is their "language" compared to the noises other animals use to communicate? Are they really on another level, communication-wise?

Madison Hunter

*content warning* I've heard dolphins can get quite rape-y to each other and especially to humans, is this true and how likely is it to happen?

Madison Hunter

Also I learned recently about bomb-sniffing dolphins, information on those would be really fun!

Nancy Boyle

How do dolphins regulate their temperature? Do dolphins stay warm due to fat layers? Do dolphins have any hair or fur? Is their skin special?

taylor paschall

Is dolphin milk produced? (Even for scientific purposes?)

Cecilie Baker

Since there is increasing pressure in deeper water, are there specializations in dolphin lungs? Is gas exchange in dolphin lungs somehow facilitated in deeper water due to the increased pressure?

J

Are dolphins born with a mustache to help guide the breastmilk into their mouths?

Ikrah Pradhan

What’s behind the reports of miraculous healing after swimming with dolphins? Is there any level of evidence to support nervous system regulation that couldn’t be accomplished with activities more humane than captivity? Like cuddling a puppy?

Zoe

I feel like at one point there was this thing going around that said dolphins (and pigs??) are some of the few animals aside from humans that can derive pleasure from sex - is this true? Or is it just humans thinking we're better than everyone else and only ascribing this to a select other mammals we feel like we can relate better to?

Zoe

Also Also Also! There are these videos of dolphins and other porpoises enjoying music performances and I have always wondered if they hear the same things we do?

Db

Is the way they use echolocation different from the way other non sea/ocean mammals do?

Seán Thomas Kane

There are some Bronze Age dolphin frescoes on the Greek island of Santorini that I love showing my students. Big question here: How have cultural depictions of dolphins changed or stayed the same in different cultures and generations?

Addie Cappello she her

What is the deal with dolphins and sharks? I’ve heard stories of dolphins protecting swimming humans from potential shark attacks and also scenarios where a pod of dolphins will physically scare off a shark, etc. truth? Flimflam? Somewhere in between?

Amanda Annand

I have heard that dolphins have names for each other. I am wondering if they show signs of communicating with other species? Like ravens will work with wolves to hunt and share the kill.

Honeybee

What do dolphins think about us (humans)? Do they even think about us?

Sadie Vipond

I've heard that dolphins admire their reflections, and that recognizing yourself in a mirror is part of being conscious. Do dolphins have similar consciousness to humans??

Honeybee

Are dolphins territorial? Do they even have a "home"?

Liss Timm

What is the difference between porpoise and dolphin? And since they are mammals, do they have hair? **1st time question asker.

Val McKelvey

CAN I SWIM WITH THEM AND HOW

Sienna

What's our status on decoding dolphin language? I'm aware of previous research wherein dolphins were taught "this sound means fish". Have we made any progress in understanding wild dolphin communication?

Sienna

Dolphin pleasure: why do they like to masterbate when other similar non human animals don't?

Justine Thompson

How deep can dolphins dive? Do they have special lung adaptations to help with this? Can dolphins see well? And the real question, why are they such pervs? Do they really want to bone humans, or have humans put them in such unnatural scenarios that they are a bit messed up when these stories happen?

Sienna

DOLPHIN CALL QUESTION BLOCK: 🧐 What is the range of their calls? How do their calls compare to whale infrasound? Can you talk about the structural differences between these calls? Are dolphin calls and songs similar to the purposes of bird song in that they are used for mating? Do male and female dolphins sing/ call differently? Is there sexual selection for call complexity, duration or frequency? Are there dolphin dialects that differ based on the region? What's your favorite dolphin sound or call?

Sienna

How are things looking regarding ethical treatment of dolphins? Have we made progress? Are we falling behind? And what can we do to improve things?

Sienna

Can you talk about fishing practices and implications for animals like dolphins?

Sienna

Dolphin sentience: please discuss!

Annmarie Everhart

First time question asker: How have dolphins been impacted by plastics and nanoplastics in the ocean?

Sienna

How do dolphin brains compare to primate brains? Are there structural differences or network differences of note? For instance do they have a similar or different reward network? How about the Limbic to PFC connections, how similarly are we wired? How does smell work under water and is the olfactory cortex as strongly wired to emotion and memory for them as it is for us? How do dolphins sleep? Do they ever snuggle?

Sienna

I'm curious about how they experience mechanoreception. Do they have the same set of receptors (Merkley, Meissner, Paccini, etc)? Are any of those receptors keyed down or up for them?

Sienna

Migration: HOW? Can you talk about magnetoreception, how it functions physiologically and where/ when it emerged phylogenetically? Like what was the precursor to magnetoreception? How different are Anatomical mechanisms for magnetoreception in aquatic life ? Like is there more than one way to get it done? How does that compare to avian migration techniques? What happens if they get lost? What can make them get lost?

Shelagh Leutwiler

Please ask, Addie Cappello's question about dolphins and sharks! "Will dolphins protecting swimming humans from potential shark attacks and also scenarios where a pod of dolphins will physically scare off a shark?"

Sienna

I think 2020 may have given a lot of sea life a break from the daily grind when we all took a break from traveling during the early part of the pandemic. What was life like for dolphins et al during that period and how are things different now? I've read somewhere that balean whales may be changing their song range by lowering the frequency. Is that true? Why? And is something similar happening to dolphins? Follow up: can you talk about sound pollution and how it affects them and if there's anything we can do about it?

Sienna

What are dolphins opinions on human music? How do they respond to say Bach vs Rock vs Opera?

Sienna

What's the family structure like? Are they broadly social or super cliquey?

Trevor Doty

Is it true that dolphins really like to get tail?

Trevor Doty

how far does a dolphin swim in a lifetime?

Trevor Doty

how long could a dolphin live out of water?

Trevor Doty

Since dolphins are basically weightless underwater, do they have low bone density? Also would they have any trouble adjusting to Zero gravity?

Trevor Doty

Has anyone coded their squeaky language?

Trevor Doty

Would you consider doing a 12 part dolphin episode? Or maybe a baker's dozen?

Kristin Zimmerman

I was once told by a marine scientist that her colleague had done PhD research on vaginal folding. Is this a thing, or was my friend pulling my leg? If it's true, can you tell me more?! I've been curious about it ever since but haven't tainted my Google history with it 😂

Peter Darch

I heard that if you see dolphins around you are safe from sharks, as dolphins chase them off - is this true? Recently in Perth Australia a young girl was attacked by a shark in Swan River after jumping off her jet-ski to swim with dolphins! That spooked me a bit!

Savannah Hex

First time question asker: Is it true that dolphins will try to have sex with people?

Lillian Wangler

Why are dolphins so irresistible and mesmerizing? They were my special interest for many years and in elementary school it felt like we were all obsessed with them. Or maybe Lisa Frank just tricked me into thinking they were so popular?? (Never been announced)

Dorit

Please ask about dolphin evolution from land mammals. It's fascinating!

Natalie W

How is it that dolphins are their own thing and not actually whales?

Natalie W

What goober thought that the dolphin fish and the dolphin mammal should be called the same thing, and why?

Natalie W

First time question-asker: I have heard that dolphins are really big a-holes, just like otters. Adorable, charismatic a-holes... I kinda imagine dolphins being Those Assholes of the ocean. They’re everywhere, showing off, and if you catch them at the right moment, and they’re handsome charmers, borderline too good-looking, probably make you feel special. But you catch them at the wrong moment, maybe after too many Tito’s and sodas, and they’re paying settlement from some lawsuit or other and passing around NDAs. 😬

Alice Newlin

Why do spinner dolphins spin? I saw a huge pod of them twirling away years ago in Hawaii and our guide basically shrugged and said that no one knows. Any ideas? The baby spinners are super cute because they can’t quite spin so they just kinda… wiggle?

Autumn Mitchell

How are they so smart and evil? Do they get actually get high, or is that flim flam? Also how can they be creepy and cute at the same time? 👁️👄👁️

ניצן שליט Nitzan Shalit

When I saw this question I SCREAMED so hard my partner thought I got injured! would love to hear about dolphin dream state, social structure and (homo)sexuality. Also: what's the thing with getting high on pufferfish? 🐬🌟 Also: would they have ruled the world if the had thumbs??

Taylor Jacot

They say that humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure, is this true??

Bex W.

Just how complex is their communication? Do they have small talk? Also, dolphins are an example of a species who have gay sex. Is there a threshold of “intelligence” a species has to reach before they begin partaking in gay shit? Thoughts on the dude who had sex with a dolphin? Also, I have heard stories about dolphins both saving and attacking humans. Is there a predominant attitude they have toward humans or is it highly varied?

Riannes.reptiles

I don't believe in reincarnation but I'm trying to determine the best animal to be reincarnated as. Do dolphins live good lives? Are they a suitable candidate for reincarnation?

Lena Gwen

What would dolphins be capable of if they had thumbs?

Asha Dermer

What did the evolution process look like for dolphins over the last few thousand years? Also, how complex do the social structures get within a pod of dolphins?

Annalies Kleyheeg

First-time question asker: why was I so obsessed with them as a kid??? How did dolphins become such a popular animal for humans to idolize?

Cat Kessler

What makes a dolphin a dolphin? I read that orcas are the largest dolphins, but how are they distinct from other toothed whales? And can we talk about how orcas, some toothed whales and humans are the only species that experience menopause?

Britt Kline

💯 same over here! 🤣🐬✨

Britt Kline

Just….Ditto ALLA these. Defs gonna need a baker’s dozen a lá Trevor Doty, Alie! 🤣👏🏼💪 ✨🐬💜🐬✨

jkpendolino@hotmail.com

Is it good for a dolphin to be in captivity? Whatever happen to flipper?

Jennifer Piacente

Someone once told me that dolphins sometimes try to have sex with people. Is this true? Or is it utter flim flam that I gullibly believed?

Jennifer Piacente

Also, how do dolphins intelligence compare to humans?

Jennifer Piacente

What’s the difference between a porpoise and a dolphin and why do dolphins live so much longer than porpoises

The Aerial Mapper

I have read that dolphin’s skin is highly vulnerable to pollutants. What are the effects pollutants have on their skin and is there anything they can do to protect themselves? Also are they sensitive to UV rays?

Mary Long

Do dolphins have hobbies, things they do just for enjoyment?

A. McCaig

Are shows like "Flipper" problematic for Dolphins - due to us humans thinking all Dolphins want to be cuddled and petted?

Christina Johnson

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy!!! I have been waiting for dolphins! Doing a happy dance while parked in my car. Waiting for school drop off !! Will need another episode for Whales down the road...they have hip/ pelvis bones?!?

Christina Johnson

This will absolutely need to be a double episode!!!? 🤩

Alice Rubin

what do dolphins dream about when they are asleep?

Maria Kumro

I just saw Brian Skerry speak about whales so I'm currently obsessed so YES WHALES GIVE ME

Hannah Boyd

I wanna know allllll about their emotional bonds. Do they have the capacity to love? Do dolphins ever fall in love with things that aren't dolphins?!

Ikrah Pradhan

1st time question asker (name pronounced ick-rah!): What’s with dolphin midwives?! How about reports of miraculous healing properties of swimming with dolphins?

Ikrah Pradhan

Yes! Same question about saving/attacking humans!

daniel schmaniel

fact or flim-flam: dolphins were the smartest animals on the planet until about 100,000 years ago?

Kairsti

Migratory patterns! I live in the Low Country of South Carolina and I feel like we see dolphins in the rivers all year round. Do they stay around here forever or just come in to mate and raise their babies? Side note - I love seeing the nursery's of baby dolphins hanging out with just one or 2 adults.

Kristin Bamkosam

I came to ask the same question 🙋🏻‍♀️

Rachel von Morrigan

My knowledge of dolphins is: They’re really smart. They like to get high. They’re into sexual assault. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Shannon Naugle

Dolphin are know to be smart....but are some species more smart than others? Is there such thing as a dumb dolphin?

Michael Wilbur

Do dolphins (aren’t they actually porpoise?) have a home base? A place they return to or stay for some time. Or are they perpetual travelers?

Shannon Naugle

Is it a bad to swim with captive dolphin?

Christina Johnson

Please tell me all about their complex thoughts, communication, communities, and there role in the ocean and world. How frequently do they conceive babies, how are the world's dolphin populations doing today!What do they eat? Who eats them? How can we help these amazing creatures?!

Sidra Tirmizi

MY FIRST QUESTION AHHHH IM SO EXCITED. Are dolphins smart enough to take over the world like humans (kinda) have? I think they would be smart enough too but even smarter to know that it’s a terrible idea. I get very heated about this.

Grandma Theresa

I remember this horrible video of fishermen killing dolphins. Is this still Going on. Are their more protections internationally for them.

MacKenna Butler

FTQA! What are examples of actions that can be taken to support vaquitas (I know they're porpoises, but close enough), especially since they don't do well when placed under human care?

Mark Schurmann

Is feeding a baby dolphin serving a youthful porpoise?

Megan OGrady

What is a dolphin? What's not a dolphin? Is it true that all dolphins are whales but not all whales are dolphins?

Nora Woodworth

Can we talk about the dude who studied dolphins and lived with the dolphin and then things got real wierd? Like sexually weird?

sarah de jesus

didn’t this happen with a woman scientist too?

Nora Woodworth

Oh boy, let's talk about both! And why this has happened more than once. 😆

Jason Sereno

We know that dolphins are very intelligent and have a sense of play - and they do have that perpetual smile, after all - but do we know if they have a sense of humor? Or is that even a quantifiable thing?

kris jagoopy

(first timer, hi!) Should I be scared of dolphins? I'm kind of scared of dolphins. But like... respectfully. Can they hurt me? Would they ever want to?

Daniel Gill

I have heard Cetaceans willingly toy or torture their prey - is there any research about how they treat other animals?

Molly Geisler

First time asker - I’m just gonna go there… TELL ME ‘BOUT DOLPHIN SEX. Do they really do it for pleasure? Are they really the only other mammals besides humans that do it for pleasure? Why is that? Is that episode of King of the Hill factual that a dolphin will hump a person? Why on earth would they do that?? Is it safe for people to swim with dolphins? Thank you, I talk about your show to people as if we are best friends. You’re the best, have a great day!

Emily Staw-fur

Thoughts on hybridization? From what I've read about it, it seems like the only benefit is for tourist attractions, which seems wrong. Are there any benefits to it or reasons why it should be done? Does it ever happen in the world or only with human interference?

Emily Staw-fur

Can ships and submarines mess with a dolphins echolocation? What about sound pollution when dolphins are kept in captivity?

Timothy Anderson-Williams

I need to know how do they sleep with half their brain? I would love to do that and keep on truckin’

Christina Johnson

And if so... What can we actually do about noise pollution?

Christina Johnson

Are dolphins empathetic or curious about humans? Have they really saved humans who are drowning in the past?

Emily Staw-fur

Considering their intelligence, is it possible for dolphins to have things like autism, ADHD, or other neurodivergencies?

Emily Staw-fur

Considering that dolphins are an apex predator, how have we come to such a casual relationship with them? There aren't attractions to hug a gorilla or comb a lion's mane. What sets them apart from other apex predators?

Emily Staw-fur

Are offshore wind farms a risk to dolphins?

Emily Staw-fur

Like many other children, I went through a dolphin phase when I was in elementary school. I had never even seen a dolphin in real life at that point! What is it that makes them so loveable and obsession-worthy even for people who haven't encountered one?

Joe Wilkie

how consentual is dolphin mating? do dolphins have familial “home” areas, or at least patches of oceans for dolphin relations to gather at for politics and yelling? what was the deal with the sea world business my girlfriend wants me to ask about? what is the most important thing we can learn from dolphins?

Sarah O'Malley

Is it true the military trains dolphins for secret missions and patrols? Are they just guard animals or do they do things like carry messages or plant mines/bombs? Or can they be spies? Eek!

Rowan Doyle

How related are the different kinds of dolphins? I'm thinking specifically about freshwater versus saltwater dolphins.

Mykenzie King

I have so many: Why are they so cute? What is the difference between a porpoise and a dolphin? When people talk about intelligence of dolphins what does that mean in a quantifiable sense? Also there was a SpongeBob episode where when ever SpongeBob or Patrick would curse they would make dolphin sounds so now whenever I hear a dolphin squeak I laugh.

Sandy Green

Is it ok to swim with dolphins at resorts and such? So they like it? Does it bother them? Should we steer clear? First time questioner. Thank you!!

Mykenzie King

Additionally I saw a dolphin while on my weekly Bayshore walk in Tampa bay and I still get excited like a child whenever I see one

Trisha

Long time listener & first time question asker!!!! Given dolphin intelligence, have they figured ways to outsmart commercial fishing vessels and take back food? What are the most adaptive/interesting hunting strategies dolphins have developed?

Jonathan Merry

What are examples of organizations that house dolphins in an ethical way and what sets them apart?

Josh

What do we know about their brains? Aren't they huge (the brains not the dolphins)?

Ella

What's up with beaked whales? How closely related to dolphins are they, really? Why are they so mysterious?

Shannan O'mara

When did dolphins start showing up on earth? What are they evolved from? My daughter also wants to know why do they make those noises?

Laura R

Is the Wet Goddess story true? Did he really have a sexual relationship with a dolphin? (*puking emoji*) Do dolphins have sex for pleasure?

ReigningEmily

Lily’s Dolphins Point Experiment. I have lots of questions. Mainly, was it just “sex drugs and rock n roll” or did some meaningful scientific work get accomplished?

Carin Roberts

How far up-river do freshwater dolphins live? Are they mostly found in brackish water, or are they all up in that river's business? Also, which came first, freshwater or seawater dolphins? Did they co-evolve? Bonus question, is the ability to be an absolute dick to your same species related to intelligence?

Erin Nansel

Why are all kids so obsessed with dolphins!? It was my whole personality there for a few years

Camille Eckel

Why do dolphins seem to have a better pr team than sharks, but the anecdotes all seem to say that dolphins are little sociopaths and sharks are just kinda himbos? Is any of that true?

Ms. Nowak

Ok! A few months ago my spouse and I got into a debate about mermaid anatomy which got us on the topic of tails. We realized that sharks have tails that move from side to side while water mammals like dolphins and whales have tails that move up and down. Is there a reason for this? Is there a branch in the evolution regarding tails? (We concluded that mermaids can have up down tails since they are at least half mammal. But I think they might have eggs instead of giving live birth. Though that's probably more of a mythology question lol)

Kathleen Sachs

What do you think of dolpin shows at zoos and aquariums? I hear that just keeping dolpins in captivity in the middle of a city is cruel because they have very sensitive hearing; human noises can be upsetting to them. And forcing them to perform in a stadium with cheering people is even worse.

Kathleen Sachs

If a pregnant woman were to go swimming with dolphins, would the dolphins be able to detect the fetus she was carrying using sonar?

Kathleen Sachs

I have heard that is not advised to go swimming with dolphins when you have a pacemaker because the dolphins will detect it, get upset, and mob the person with the pacemaker. Truth or flim flam?

Kathleen Sachs

Is it true that dolphins (and whales) all evolved from a land mammal that closely resembles a deer or tapir?

Kathleen Sachs

What is your favorite species of dolphin or porpoise? What species have already gone extinct and which ones are in danger of going extinct?

Kathleen Sachs

Do you think that it will ever be possible for humans to communicate with dolphins?

Kathleen Sachs

Based on what you know from dolphin personality, would they really say, "so long! And thanks for all the fish?"

Zoe D

What is up with dolphins and all of the rape?

Zoe D

Please talk about the LSD NASA project, It has been on the forefront of my mind ever since I heard about it. Did it actually help advance our understanding? What made the lead scientist think it was okay to engage in sexual relations? Who thought of giving dolphins drugs in order to make them talk??? So many questions, so little answers.

Lindsay Mayer

What strategies do you think are most effective or most likely to work for endangered dolphin species such as the Amazon river dolphin? “For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.” Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

E-Veh-Lease Sanchez

I once saw a video of a man paddle boarding into a pod of dolphins, and a dolphin jumped out of the water and knocked him off his board. Was that on purpose? Do you think the dolphin sensed something was not like the others and knocked him down to “protect the pod”?

E-Veh-Lease Sanchez

Are they the only other animal that has sex for pleasure and not procreation? Heard a friend say this but never looked it up!

Nathan Marion

Is it true that dolphins play with pufferfish and other venomous sea creatures in an attempt to get high … on porpoise ?

Hezy Anholt

I have heard that dolphins sleep with one half of their brain at a time, so that they are still able to come up for air while they are sleeping. Is this true? How does that work? If one side of the brain is asleep, why don't they end up swimming in a circle?

Heather Livingston

First time question asker: i once saw a 🐬 play hide and seek with their family by climbing out of the water onto a ledge (this was at an aquarium, but not as part of a show - the aquarium had thankfully stopped that practice and the dolphins could do whatever they wanted whenever, except that they were still in an aquarium), which i thought was super clever as a hiding spot, but now I’m wondering if i dreamed that - do they climb out of the water? And how long can they hang out on land? Do 🐬 ever fake being 🦭 for fun, chill on the rocks for a second? Do they communicate with body language besides vocal clicks? Is the Yangtze River dolphin really gone forever? How many types of 🐬 are there? Are river dolphins in different continents closer related to other river dolphins or to ocean-going seafaring pirate dolphins that they are closer neighbors with? What does the word dolphin mean and what are some other words for these guys?

Emily

Will we ever be able to talk to dolphins?

Eve

Has anyone tried training a dolphin to communicate with buttons, like Christina Hunter trained Stella?

Stephanie Leské

Does their skin feel squeaky!? 🐬 how many babies do they have in a lifetime? Do their pods consist of family members only or do they form friend groups? I live in Scotland and have tried to spot them in Inverness a few times to no avail, what are some good time tips for spotting them? SO EXCITED about this episode! Oh! Is their long snoot part of there skeleton? 🐬

EdNoGG

So unsmart question here, but can you tell me about how new born baby dolphin!? Like that’s it. Like I need to know everything, how do they drink milk underwater (do they do this?), how do they know how to swim without drowning all of its information please! 😊

EdNoGG

Oh, and Dad, word this any which way you want. I know I made no sense lol

Jules Kingsland

In wild krats they have a device to know what the dolphins are saying is that something that humans have made?

Jules Kingsland

What is the gestation period for a dolphin?

Pauline Esposito

Question from James (7) from Chicago : How do Dolphins spin around when they jump ?

Lina Staudt

Why are dolhpins so horny? Why do they gang rape other marine life and assault puffs to get high??

Ann Hanlin

How do they feel being made to live in the water in every way except they can’t breathe? Seems exhausting to only be able to sleep with half your brain at a time so you don’t drown. Constantly jumping out of the water so you can take a breath. I always felt bad for them a little bit, like the got the evolutionary short end of the stick.

Joe Hummingbird

First time question from a Florida listener who still yells, "Dolphin!" with complete glee every time one swims by. Why do dolphins love following boats so much? Every time I'm on one here, they seem to magically show up. Are they just highly entertained by how excited humans get when we see them? Or are they having fun surfing and jumping the wakes?

Sam Acker

FTQA (Acker pronounced like "acre"): There was a viral video of a dolphin playing with water rings like smoke rings. How do they do that?

Arron Gillman

I just want to preface this by saying, I found this podcast roughly two weeks ago and I love it so much! This is the only thing I listen to anymore! Now to the question... Is it really true that Dolphins are smarter than Humans? If so, in what ways? Thank you so much!

Erin Mecchi

Eeee eee eAeee eeEEe (dolphin speak for ologies is good, thank you :) )

Specs Owl

Do they have different accents or dialects? Do the males take responsibility for their young? Do they ever have dolphin nurseries if the mamas need to go away somewhere?

Carolyn Viscosi Shirley

Please talk about dolphin communication and intelligence. Dolphin sex - I've read of dolphin bisexuality, masturbation and incest - is the incest fact or fiction and how can incest work evolutionarily?? And of course Arm of the Starfish by M. L'Engle:)

Vero Tavares

Does any other animal exhibit similar resourcefulness in masturbating that compares to dolphins using fish heads as sex toys?

Cobalt Finch

First time question asker: The last name is pronounced Zee Em Buh :) My mom wonders if there have ever been reports of a human-dolphin relationship like from the show Flipper, where a dolphin has a pod, but also is in tune with the human family's needs, separate from it's own pod.

Thea

First time question asker 🐬I’ve always heard that dolphins are the only other animal that has sex for pleasure - it doesn’t add up to me, but is it true?

Some Random Frog

I heard dolphins have names. How true is that?

beeeeen

are there any psychopath dolphins out there?? or just simply mean-spirited dolphins that constantly tease or hurt their peers?? and most importantly: whats your favourite dolphin-related joke?

Nancy Boyle

Do dolphins have hair or fur?

Melissa Kane

What makes a dolphin’s skin do delicate?

curly fry

Why are dolphins so cool?

curly fry

Thank you Alie for doing an episode on dolphins! This is my dream come true. The media always portrays dolphins as friendly and social, is this true or is it flim flam?

curly fry

What can we do to protect dolphins?

curly fry

Do dolphins have personalities?

curly fry

What are dolphins family structures like?

gzfathome

Hi - first time asker (thnx so much for the show) - and a simple one - how are dolphins and porpoises related? I've read that porpoises are closer to narwhals than dolphins, but i'm not sure how they all fit (or don't fit) together??

Amie Allen

Are dolphins born assholes, or do they wake up and choose violence? (FTQA…yes this is my first question)

Becki Grady

Are stories of dolphins helping divers and shipwreck survivors legit? Why would compassion be a trait they evolved?

Eric

What are the differences between fresh water river dolphins and ocean dolphins?

Bernadette Escamilla

First time question asker!!!!!!! Why are dolphins so sexually aggressive!?!!

Anton Kleynscheldt

How worried should we be when they start fleeing the planet?

Neal Greenstein

Do all dolphins have the same higher intelligence that we’ve always heard about? Are some more intelligent than the rest?

Caitlin MacDonald

FTQA (helloooooo hi hi) - What kinds of games to dolphins play? Does each pod invent their own, or are there recurring ones you see throughout the whole species?

Heather Circle

As a child of the Lisa Frank, Christian Reese Lassen era, Marine Biologist or Dolphin Trainer was a favorite career goal, did this actually create an uptick in the marine biology field?

Heather Circle

Do you have a favorite story about dolphin and human relationships or interactions?

Alaina Cruson

Are dolphins the assholes I've been told they are?

Arvind Bhusnurmath

Bats v Dolphins - who is the echolocation champion? Or is it actually Christian Bale??

Lee Wang

Blowhole sex?!

Lee Wang

I've read that dolphins are hard to train/keep in captivity, which is surprising because a lot of my experience seeing them has been at theme parks. Is the difficulty due to their intelligence, in that the smarter you are, the less patient you are with humans training you to do stupid things?

Paige

Is it true that male dolphin sperm ejaculations are so speedy that they’re dangerous?!

Sara

First time question asker! Can you highlight some important conservation projects currently happening with dolphins? For example, ifaw marine mammal rescue on Cape Cod is pretty amazing. Also please share the marine mammal protection act and how people need to not try to rescue dolphins on their own!

Laura Fitzgerald

First time question asker! I’ve been hearing a lot about how dolphins are basically menaces – torturing other animals for fun, killing baby dolphins just to get females to mate, getting high off of pufferfish toxins, just to name a few. Sharks on the other hand get a horribly undeserved bad rap after “Jaws” comes out and have never really recovered. I guess my question is who the heck is doing PR for the dolphins?

Kpelliss

How did I not know the Navy has used dolphins to protect "sensitive" areas of our coastline......care to comment?

Mark H

Why are dolphins famous for liking people so much? We are the worst. Also they are big carnivores so they must occasionally eat people right? How often does that happen?

Caroline

Not a question - please make a dolphin Smologies episode, too!

Earth Magic ♡ (Adeline)

Ok ok, but let's talk about the dolphin that had a relationship with a woman and when separated he unalived himself. Why did this happen? Are dolphins and human relationships problematic? What is that line? So so sad.

Kat Bucko

Hi!!! Hypothetically, you know how wolves and other animals have adopted feral children before, and just generally looked out for small humans? Would dolphins do that too? I suppose if/and humans could hypothetically survive in the ocean?

Gwen Hughes

First time question-asker - how sad are the dolphins kept in aquariums? Do they all really hate it?

Brooke Nowicki

What is the best portrayal of dolphins from a book, and why is it the ones from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series?

Brooke Nowicki

And then also, how close is Jim Carrey's dolphin impression in Ace Ventura?

Sophia Mumma

What influences dolphin phenotypes, coloring, pinkness, spots/no spots, etc? How does a dolphin's appearance connect to its environment? And do they really get high on purpose?

Sarah Sarah

Recently, I heard that it’s possible that whale feeding behavior was the inspiration behind the myth of hafgufa. Are there any dolphin-related myths/legends?

Heather Circle

Any fun facts about the cultural significance of dolphins? Why do they make me cry at the mere sight of them? Why do I feel like they are imprinted on my soul?

Marcus Hollyer

Many white women called Stacey got dolphin tattoos in the 90s. Do dolphins get tattoos of women called Stacey when they are in their college era and then come to regret them later in life?

Kyle Riggs

Are they smarter than us?

Kyle Riggs

Also, I’ve read that some dolphins use sponges to protect their noses from the sand on the ocean floor while digging for food. Are there other examples of dolphins using tools?

Rissaroni

Came here to ask!!

Tristin Berg

It’s said that people who get proper sleep live longer. Is it hypothesized that if dolphins got more than 4 hours of sleep they would also live longer?

Gemma

How does the tuna/fishing industry impact dolphins? - when cans of fish say "dolphin-safe" does that mean the process just didn't impact dolphins specifically, or are there other additives that make dolphins more of an indicator species?

Gemma

Can dolphins see in the dark?

Ty Stryk

I’ve heard dolphins can tell when a pregnant person is in the water with them… Can dolphins be trained to use their echolocation magic to scan our bodies and identify tumours inside us? long time listener, 1st time questioner & new patreon. Love your show Alie!!

Elisabeth

Dolphins have always seemed joyful, playful, happy in the sea.Smart too. Do they like being kept at amusement parks in a contained space for entertaining people? What does it do to their stress levels to be handled by hundreds of people at those, Swim/Pet the Dolphin parks?

Elisabeth

Is Japan continuing the slaughter of Dolphins, such as I saw in "The Cove" movie? Why don't people see that Dolphins are fully aware, have feelings, love their children, know what is happening. It is so cruel to slaughter them in this dark secrecy.

ZZ Plant

I heard that dolphins have orgies...is this true..?

Anna Stevens

I just saw a story the other day about Dolphin-assisted births? Like… Dolphin midwives for humans. Is that really a thing??

Anna Woods

I’m in New Zealand (south island) and my family saw multiple pods of dolphins (likely common dolphins but we see the occasional Hectors dolphin as well) over Easter weekend in the Marlborough Sounds, we also often see them in October. Why are we so much more likely to see them in autumn & spring compared to summer?

Eric Purviance

First, your show is amazing, interesting, puzzling and mind blowing all at the same time! That you for that.... I know I'm late coming to the Dolphin party, but wanted to say, I was a primary trainer in the early 80's. That's when UDT/SEALs had the program before it went to EOD. If you do a part deux of Dolphins I would like to add to the conversation. Cheers and all the BEST!!