| Some scientists who work with dolphins believe | | | | water, but also signal annoyance or danger. Just |
| that these sea-dwellers show a sense to the | | | | like humans, dolphins like to gesture when they |
| disability and physical trauma associated with | | | | interact with each other. To communicate, they |
| function and pain in humans, therefore making the | | | | use body language or they whistle and they |
| cranio-sacral therapy possible. Dolphins, with their | | | | stroke one another with their fins as if bonding |
| internal sonar or echo-location can feel where the | | | | socially. When they swim together as friends, |
| person hurts the most and are able to gently | | | | they move synchronously leaping in and out of |
| nudge and play without hurting the person.Once, | | | | the water. When they are angry or aggressive, |
| two dolphins saved a writer while he was | | | | they open their mouths or clap their jaws |
| swimming far off the coast of California. The man | | | | violently.Dolphins can dive to great depths and also |
| was a good swimmer and swimming had become | | | | can leap high over the water. Being mammals, |
| his daily routine. One day, far away from the | | | | they need to breathe, but unlike humans their |
| shore, he felt very tired, too tired to lift his arms | | | | breathing is voluntary. They breathe through the |
| or kick. Suddenly, two dolphins came to his | | | | opening on the top of their heads. It is possible |
| rescue. They swam with their bodies touching him | | | | that dolphins can drown. When that happens other |
| and they propelled him forward by fastening their | | | | dolphins come to the drowning dolphin's aid, |
| nose under his arms to keep him afloat, until they | | | | supporting his body in such a way that his |
| came close to the shore where there were other | | | | blowhole stays above the water.To sleep, dolphins |
| people. By this time, the writer had regained | | | | have to shut down only half of their brain, which |
| enough strength to swim a few more yards to | | | | probably means that they are always alert to |
| safety. He says the dolphins didn't leave | | | | danger. Dolphins also take short naps as they |
| immediately. They kept leaping off shore to make | | | | float just below the surface. Yet, unlike humans, |
| sure he made it to land safely.Many incidents of | | | | their most active feeding time is the night, |
| dolphins saving people at sea have been reported. | | | | although they spend a good amount of the day |
| Some time ago, it was in the news that a pod of | | | | looking for food.One of the best dolphin research |
| dolphins defended a group of swimmers by circling | | | | centers is located in the Marathon Key, Florida. |
| protectively around them to fend off the attack | | | | Here and at other dolphin centers around the |
| of the great white shark. The swimmers were on | | | | world, the project of aiding handicapped children |
| a lifeguard training swim about hundred yards off | | | | with Dolphins is carefully investigated, with the |
| the shore. At first, the men didn't understand that | | | | therapy based on the dolphin's natural desire to |
| there was a shark. One of them swam away but | | | | come into contact with humans. Through |
| was pushed back into the circle by the dolphins. | | | | interaction with dolphins, children with Autism, |
| At that time he saw a nine-foot shark two yards | | | | Down's Syndrome, anorexia, depression, cancer, |
| away from him. The men spent about forty | | | | and learning disabilities have exhibited positive |
| minutes before in that circle before the dolphins | | | | results by calming down and showing a better |
| let them swim back to the shore. Since sharks | | | | sense of importance and self-confidence.There |
| are dolphins' greatest enemies, it is possible that | | | | are, however opposing views and theories. In |
| they protected the men as if the swimmers | | | | 2003, a report by WDCS (Whale and Dolphin |
| were their own offspring.There are many | | | | Conservation Society) and HSUS (the Humane |
| different species of dolphins. A familiar one is | | | | Society of the United States) claims that the risk |
| Flipper's kind, the bottlenose dolphin. One of the | | | | to dolphins overweighs the positive effects of |
| world's most endangered species is a dolphin called | | | | their interaction with humans in dolphin-petting |
| by many names such as Beiji; Pai C'hi; Chinese | | | | zoos. Dolphins become obese with the excess |
| River Dolphin; Yangtze Dolphin; Whitefin Dolphin; | | | | feeding by the public and extended exposure to |
| Whiteflag Dolphin. It inhabits the Yangtze River in | | | | humans subject the animals to stress and injury. |
| China. It is said that these animals are very close | | | | Also some children, even if very few, have been |
| to being extinct since there are only 5 of them | | | | reported to regress in their development from |
| left, whereas in 1984 there were | | | | being pushed by their families and the fright of |
| 400.Warm-blooded like men, dolphins are | | | | the animals or the water.Given the positive use of |
| mammals, not fish, and they give birth to one | | | | dolphin and human contact, more research is |
| baby at a time, nursing their young up to four | | | | needed, and attention to the dolphin petting areas |
| years. They live in social groups called pods and | | | | and more closely observed rules of hygiene and |
| interact with each other very closely. These pods' | | | | sanitation are in order, so that both species can |
| make-up can change, since dolphins interact with | | | | continue to benefit from each other.Joy Cagil is an |
| dolphins from other pods from time to time. A | | | | author on a site for |
| lone dolphin that has lost his friends at sea can | | | | Writers ( Her training is in foreign languages and |
| easily be adopted by another pod.Dolphins have | | | | linguistics. In her background are varied subjects |
| powerful tails that not only help to steer them in | | | | such as psychology, mental health, and visual arts. |