The BBC published an amazing video yesterday from Korean scientists that is both the first video of a dolphin dying of natural causes at sea, and also stunning evidence that dolphins understand more than we give them credit for: a small part of the pod breaks off to try to save the afflicted dolphin, pushing it to the surface and trying to turn it upright.
The dolphin was apparently experiencing some sort of paralysis in its fins and became unable to swim correctly or to maintain its posture in the water.
What does it mean, though, about the dolphins’ intelligence that they have the awareness that something is wrong with their pod-mate and then a conception of how the dolphin’s body works to attempt to turn its blowhole towards the surface?
Science has long credited the dolphin with intelligence and curiosity, but this video seems to support them having degrees of intelligence that have previously been strictly observed in humans.
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Why can’t these concerned Korean Scientists help to stop the mass killings of Dolphins each year in Japan? They obviously know how brilliant Dolphins are and surely they are upset by these horrific methods and acts of violence of such brilliant animals!
Sovereignty, is the answer, and a little bit of economic power-dealing as well - in addition to being the major diplomatic power in the region, Japan maintains so much manufacturing power that it’s very difficult to exercise international leverage over them.
The abject failure of the whaling and tuna commissions should give you an idea of how powerful they are: the Japanese refusal has more or less killed the attempt at international law.
Just an FYI, unless I’m just not seeing it, this page doesn’t link forwards.