Dolphins Rescue Lifeguards

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Jules

Not again! Do we need to have three threads on this or will just the two do?

http://www.yorkshire-divers.co.uk/fo...ad.php?t=13229

I don't care, dolphins deserve greater recognition.......give them their own forum I say!!!!

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Kate

SorrEeEeEe!!!!I was off work yesterday so didn't know there was another one (or two)

Never mind, each thread has brought a smile to my heart (even if its the same story) and by the sounds of it you need that today! (have you extracted the broom yet?

Cheers, Paul

[Dr Stevil]

I hate to be the grinch that stole the fairytale story but I'm afraid I going to have to be "What a bunch of new-age hippy whale-hugging garbage!"

Originally Posted by BBC

Marine biologists say such altruistic behaviour is not uncommon in dolphins.

1) Where did these Marine Biologists get their qualifications? Off the internet?? Altruism is not scientifically accepted for non-human species, nor is the larger aspect of this insinuation, that is, the concept of group selection, ie that an animal may act "for the good of it's species"

2) Why is it automatically assumed that the GW would attack humans ? Most shark attacks occur in the US, 41 in 2003, only 6 in Australia and none recorded for NZ where these guys were. Typical anti-shark propaganda, BBC you should be ashamed of yourself!

3) As for dolphins being cute and cuddly, to borrow another Tierney Catchphrase (Inc, copyright 1997) "Oh you think so..."

One of my old supervisors form Marine Sciences has been diving in the caribbean for about 15-20 years, never ever had a problem with sharks, not even when literally face to face with the supposedly "deadly" Bull Sharks However, TWICE he was almost killed by Bottlenose Atlantic dolphins.

Originally Posted by BBC

Researchers have said they are not surprised. A marine biologist insisted that dolphins, which are considered to be one of the most intelligent mammals, "like to help the helpless".

WTF!?! No, that's Angel the vampire with a soul who "helps the helpless". Intelligence = helpful ? I don't think so.

Orcas are very intelligent, is there anyone here who HASN'T seen the TV footage of intelligent Orcas (helpfully) playing football with the (helpless) seals ?

Dolphins are know to have complex and shifting political allegiances which sometimes result in factions gangin up on individual "scapegoats" driving them out of the pod" (the likely explanation for the occurence of Freddy the Dolphin of NE fame).
Groups of juvenile male dolphins have also been documented indulging in gang-rape. I've got a more accurate tagline for the BBC

"Flipper kills his little cousin - regularly!"
Recently, I watched a guy from the London Zoological Society presenting his findings that cute and cuddly UK Dolphins actively seek out and kill cute and cuddly UK harbour porpoise on a regular basis. The graphic pictues of internal bleeding, tissue damage and subsequent death amongst these harbour porpoise following the dolphin attacks were not for tea-time viewing I can tell you.

[Moray]

Originally Posted by Steve W

I hate to be the grinch that stole the fairytale story but I'm afraid I going to have to be "What a bunch of new-age hippy whale-hugging garbage!"

THANK YOU STEVE!!! I am so tired of the "dolphin=good shark=bad" scenario that I could nearly vomit. But it is again a case of anthropomorphisation. We (humans) love to attribute our feelings to other species. How egocentric can you get? Dolphins may intelligent, but they are just dolphins, for doug's sake. Dolphins are not altruistic just as sharks are not bloodthirsty. To imply either is to imply that these creatures have a moral code. They do NOT.

How many times have I had a person in the dive center argue this point "But they SAVE people from drowning, I saw it on telly.." or some such....

argh.

[John Gulliver]

Originally Posted by moray

How many times have I had a person in the dive center argue this point "But they SAVE people from drowning, I saw it on telly.." or some such....

argh.

No, animals don't have a moral code BUT I believe there are a number of previous documented cases of dolphins protecting swimmers they perceive to be threatened by sharks (whether they would actually have been attacked or not is hardly the point here), helping distressed, exhausted swimmers to the shore etc etc, so it seems thay do have some kind of instinct to protect distressed members of their own species which, fortunately for us humans, has a spill-over effect that also benefits us.

[Moray]

Originally Posted by John Gulliver

No, animals don't have a moral code BUT I believe there are a number of previous documented cases of dolphins protecting swimmers they perceive to be threatened by sharks (whether they would actually have been attacked or not is hardly the point here), helping distressed, exhausted swimmers to the shore etc etc, so it seems thay do have some kind of instinct to protect distressed members of their own species which, fortunately for us humans, has a spill-over effect that also benefits us.

Perception is the correct word here. Due to marketing, such behavior is PERCEIVED as altruistic. I strongly doubt that a dolphin who is "aiding" a human is doing anything except playing about...if that benefits us, so much the better, but it still does not make dolphins superior creatures in any way. Dolphins are wild animals and usually behave as such.

Wolves also "help" other wolves in their group, to bring down meat, to protect themselves etc.

[John Gulliver]

I agree! Still, it's nice of them to help us, whatever the reason

[D.D.J]

they are both pretty amazing animals i think, but i do suppose that sharks get a bit of a bad reputation which is a bit unfair. as i m sure there was a program on the tv last week where it showed dolphins attacking a creature around the coat of scotland and some where in the usa...did anyone else see it? i thought that it was quite interesting and a real eye opener

[Pigpen]

Originally Posted by moray

Wolves also "help" other wolves in their group, to bring down meat, to protect themselves etc.

Yeah, and they are cute as well.

[Foggy]

According to Diver website, 2 dolphins from the pod which rescued these people have been killed by fishermen!!

Why oh why oh why

Paul