Observe the machine in this BBC video. It blows underwater bubble rings. Will it spark curiosity in a local group of bottlenose dolphins who might never have seen something like this?
“Initially, like most animals, they’re a bit wary. But then curiosity gets the better of them. One individual seems particularly spellbound. She’s checking out the bubbles, not just with her eyes but also with clicks of sonar.”
“And then she braves the bubble ring. This courageous explorer has paved the way for the others. Just like human toddlers, it doesn’t take long for these imaginative creatures to make a game out of their new toy.”
This gem of a clip is from the BBC’s 2011 Ocean Giants documentary, in which “underwater cameramen Doug Allan and Didier Noirot embark on a quest to film the most amazing stories of whales and dolphins across the ocean world.”
File under: Play. Watch these related dolphin and vortex videos next on TKSST:
• Dolphins swim through bioluminescent algae
• How smart are dolphins?
• Dolphins blowing bubble rings
• A vortex of bubbles twirls pufferfish as cold & warm waters collide
• A diver makes underwater vortex rings that can knock over rocks
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