There is an opinion that dolphins are the most friendly and peaceful creatures on the planet, which often become guides and saviors of people in the middle of the water. Probably, everyone has heard about similar cases of miraculous rescue of drowning people.
Unfortunately, there is another, not so rosy, statistics. Dolphin attacks on humans are not uncommon.
Children of Poseidon
The relationship between dolphins and humans has been special since ancient times.
The ancient Greeks revered Delphine, the messenger of Poseidon, and the dolphins were called his children. The attitude towards dolphins was so respectful that killing this animal was punishable by death.
The very word "delphus" is translated from Greek as "womb", which only emphasizes the deep, even in some sense intimate connection between humans and dolphins.
In Rome and Mesopotamia, these animals were depicted on the walls of baths, thermae and baths. Ancient coins and jewelry with dolphins have survived to this day.
Scandinavians in ancient times believed that to seea flock of dolphins among the waves is a good sign that will certainly bring good luck on a sea voyage. The Norwegians and Danes believed that dolphins were endowed with the gift of healing the sick and healing wounds.
According to many researchers, the conviction of modern people in the exceptional friendliness of dolphins is rooted in hoary antiquity. Probably, old fairy tales and signs underlie the belief of our contemporaries that these animals are completely harmless.
Cute smile
There is something else, thanks to which the image of a friend, comrade and helper of a person was formed. Just look at their charming smiles! It seems that the animal is just happy to meet a human.
But biologists remind you that what you see is not an emotion at all. In this case, we are talking exclusively about the shape of the structure of the jaw. The dolphin is physically incapable of making another expression.
By the way, you should also remember this in the dolphinarium: don't let the "satisfied" muzzles of dolphins mislead you. It is unlikely that an animal destined to live among the expanses and depths is happy in a chlorinated prison.
Dolphins are lifeguards?
To be honest, there is not a single officially recorded fact of saving a person by a dolphin at the present time.
Despite the fact that such stories often appear in the tabloid press, scientists are skeptical about such a phenomenon. Of course, it is too early to say categorically that this is impossible, but it is worth recognizing that there is very little supporting evidence.
MoreIn addition, according to a number of experts, the opposite phenomenon is quite possible. Recently, more and more facts of dolphin attacks on people. And they, no matter how terrible it is, are officially confirmed by the testimony of eyewitnesses and coast guard employees, the conclusions of doctors. Some moments were even captured by cameras.
Features of behavior in the natural environment
Before answering the question of whether dolphins are capable of intentionally harming humans, there are several important questions to consider. This will help shed light on motives and reasons.
In their natural environment, these creatures lead the usual way of life for a predator. According to biologists, dolphins (like many members of the cetacean order) have a very peculiar sleep pattern. The dolphin never completely shuts down: the hemispheres of his brain take turns sleeping. In this case, the animal can do without sleep for up to five days.
These creatures are quite smart and inquisitive. But in order to achieve their goals, they are capable of much. Consider some facts.
Love under duress
Mating season is a special time for all animals living in the wild. This period is always fraught with certain dangers, because there will be a struggle for territories and partners.
Dolphins are no exception. It has been established that one female and several males usually participate in one sexual intercourse, and gentlemen prefer not to bother themselves with beautiful courtship. Instead, united, theythey just drive the female until she loses her strength, and then take turns having fun with her for several weeks.
Biologists use the term "forced copulation" for this. In fact, forced sexual intercourse is the norm for dolphins. When it comes to the relationship of animals in the wild, this is not surprising. But if we consider cases of dolphin attacks on people, there really is something to be scared of. The fact is that, according to many victims, male dolphins often show unhe althy activity: they try to climb a person, rub against him, make peculiar movements.
In such cases, we are not talking about actual rape (biologists cannot answer the question of whether an act between a dolphin and a human is technically possible). But there are many cases where dolphins have shown sexual interest in humans. And the sexual desire in these animals, as we already know, is always associated with aggression.
Infanticide
Even more frightening feature of the behavior of these marine mammals can be called a bloody struggle for power. Before the mating season, young males, having chosen a female, often kill her cubs.
Speaking of whether there have been cases of dolphin attacks on humans, we must not forget that these animals are capable of cruelty even against fellow tribesmen.
Dolphins and porpoises
Even more shocking news comes from the shores of the UK. One of the largest populations of bottlenose dolphins in the world lives in those parts, as well as a rather impressiveporpoise population. These are related species that are not food competitors and may well coexist peacefully.
According to experts, in the second half of the twentieth century, dolphins exterminated more than 60% of the porpoise population. What are the reasons? It remained a mystery. But it's not survival killing anyway: dolphins don't eat porpoise meat.
Excessive sociability
According to scientists, dolphins often become the main attackers, for some reason they left the flock. These animals are curious and sociable, so they often suffer from a lack of communication with fellow tribesmen. In order to compensate for the lack of attention, dolphins often begin to pester people. But it happens that the dolphin cannot calculate the strength, is too fond of the game, causing harm to a person.
Answering the question of whether there were dolphin attacks on humans, scientists cite several officially registered examples when it was lone dolphins that terrorized the beaches.
Doggy play
Another reason for a dolphin to attack people may be elementary begging. When pestering a person, a smart animal simply begs for food. Several cases of dolphin attacks on people in the Black Sea have been recorded, when marine mammals were not just thirsty for communication, but tried to take prey from fishermen.
Armed deserters
Perhapsthis is the darkest part of our article. We are talking about dolphins, which man used for military purposes. These animals are well trained, easy to train. But you can use their intelligence for more than acrobatics and ball games.
A number of countries, including the USSR, the USA, Great Britain, Italy, trained dolphins at special military bases, teaching the tricks of mine-blasting, sapper and sabotage. Yes, people themselves once taught dolphins to attack and kill.
After the UN resolution, such activities were stopped. Currently, dolphins are prohibited from being used for military purposes. But what happened to the trained saboteurs? The secrecy has not yet been lifted, and we still cannot find out whether dolphins were released into the wild in Europe and the USSR. But disturbing news came from the US laboratory: there, during Hurricane Katrina (2005), a group of dolphins fled into the ocean. Moreover, some were armed with sharp spikes, similar to the horn of a narwhal, designed specifically to kill divers.
Instances of attacks on people
In 2006, a lone dolphin literally terrorized vacationers on the coast of Brittany. The hooligan attacked the swimmers, overturned the boats, trying to throw people into the sea.
In 2007 in New Zealand, an aggressive dolphin attacked a pleasure boat carrying two tourists. The girl experienced such a strong shock that it turned into a heart attack. Fortunately, her companion managed to call the rescuers.
CasesAttacks are on the rise, scientists say. And not all of them end in fear. For example, in Hawaii, a trinity of dolphins tore a diver to death. In Miami, four tourists died while swimming under the onslaught of a flock of dolphins.
In Weymouth, local authorities urged women to refrain from long-distance swims. The coast was chosen by a sexually horny dolphin, who repeatedly tried to drag women to the depths. The Coast Guard had to make a real hunt.
There are frequent cases of dolphin attacks on people in the Black Sea. Scientists continue to debate about the causes of the phenomenon. But one thing is certain: the representatives of the Black Sea population are very aggressive.
In the late 80s, a Moscow journalist saw a pair of dolphins in Lisya Bay. The delighted tourist, seriously confident in the good nature of marine animals, ran into the water. But the male dolphin, probably mistaking the man for a competitor, immediately rushed to the attack. Fortunately, the man was rescued by his friends.
No luck for a winter swimmer who was attacked by a flock of dolphins near Y alta in January 2007. The aggressors dragged the man into the open sea, which would inevitably have ended in death if there were no EMERCOM officers nearby. Rescuers heard the screams and managed to drive away the predators.
Dolphin attacks on people in dolphinariums are not so rare either. Experienced trainers try to have less contact with their wards during the mating season, realizing that a sea animal can take a person in a black wetsuit for a relative.
Who is more dangerous?
The myth of friendlinessdolphins are definitely worth debunking. Both for people and for the inhabitants of the deep sea, this will only benefit, because people often try to stroke wild animals, swim next to them. A dolphin is not a friend of man, it is a wild predatory animal.
But in fairness, we note that people do much more harm to dolphins, exterminating them for protein-rich meat, locking them in cramped pools of dolphinariums, conducting medical research, littering the oceans and seas with waste, conquering more and more territories from wildlife.
What to do? The answer is simple: stay away from the dolphins, leave them alone. After all, despite the behavioral characteristics, these noble creatures have the right to live freely.
