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Home » Environment » Bottlenose Dolphins Aid Brazilian Fishermen

Bottlenose Dolphins Aid Brazilian Fishermen

May 10, 2012 by Andy T 2 Comments

Bottlenose dolphins

In the year 1847, when the United States issued its first ever postage stamps, and the world’s first vegetarian society formed in the United Kingdom, a curious thing happened in the Brazilian town of Laguna.

Bottlenose dolphins began helping local fishermen by herding schools of mullet towards their nets. When the dolphins had the fish in position, they would flick their heads or tails, signalling to the men with a splash.

One hundred and sixty five years later and the tradition continues every autumn, although many are uncertain why. Are the fishermen wearing charming cologne? Ridding them of a tyrant? What’s in it for the dolphins?

Simon Ingram, marine mammal biologist at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom, has researched the event for the past two years. He and his team found that only 50 out of about 150 dolphins took part in the annual event.

Co-author of the study and fellow marine biologist, Fabian Daura-Jorge, suggests these dolphins, which appear to have a tighter bond, may be more inclined to learn off one another. Although he can’t rule out that fish herding could be a genetically inherited trait.

So it appears that after two years research, scientists have absolutely no idea why every autumn these bottlenose dolphins become the sheep dogs of the South Atlantic.

Perhaps there’s not much else to do around the shores of Laguna. Or perhaps the dolphins are celebrating humanity’s first step towards a seafood-free diet, by honoring the launch of what is now the world’s oldest vegetarian society.

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Filed Under: Environment, Wildlife Tagged With: dolphins

Comments

  1. Rama Razmin Sloop says

    May 11, 2012 at 14:34

    Dear Andy,

    This mystery is now solved! I am happy to announce the help from our dolphin masters is a sign, Oh joyous sign! Dolphins have long been thought of as the missing link and they are here to help us rediscover the wonder in all of us…Oh joyous sign! Just as Jesus made his disciples fishers of men, thus do these slick grey sea creature inspire us with their fine fishing attitudes. Now scienfically it is not widely know amongst many that the humble mullet represents the ill informed ignorant humans that live amongst us, although the haircut part has indicated a link. Yet these prophets of the sea are demonstrating what will happen to all the ignorant in the coming days of judgement. Oh joyous days!
    Thankyou oh blessed dolphins for this sign, the classic autumn blessing of the sea. In the days that will soon come to pass dolphins will again take their place as mighty spiritual warriors and the temples at Sea World on Australia’s Gold coast shall be revered for their significance, just as the egyptian pyramids were.
    Oh joyous days ahead Andy…Buy you season pass now!
    Lovely tidings
    R R Sloop

    Reply
  2. Andy Tope says

    May 22, 2012 at 10:50

    Dear Mr Sloop,

    Are you a mullet fisherman working for Sea World? In any case, I like your theories.

    Thank you!

    Yours,

    Reply

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