cover of episode Dolphins in the Navy

Dolphins in the Navy

2024/12/9
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Tell Me Something Now

Shownotes Transcript

The US Navy fitted cameras to trained dolphins, which are used to identify underwater mines, to observe their hunting behaviour in San Diego Bay. The footage, spanning six months, revealed fascinating hunting strategies and the dolphins' use of both sound and sight to locate prey. The cameras also captured the animals' heartbeats, showcasing their remarkable throat muscles used to suction prey. The footage also showed the dolphins consuming venomous yellow-bellied sea snakes, a surprising discovery that could be due to their training environment. This research, published in PLOS ONE, offers a unique insight into the behaviour of these highly intelligent marine mammals.