Dolphins And Marine Environment
Have you ever seen a dolphin? I have to admit here that I have a weakness when it comes to these lovely animals. Contributing to our good mood as they seem to be always smiling, we love to interact with them whenever we encounter them. I have once swum with dolphins and I have to tell you that it can be an unforgettable experience. I strongly advice you do the same if you happen to have the occasion.
Interesting, lovely creatures…we can clearly see that, yet there are so many other things we do not know about them. They resemble us in so many ways, starting with the fact that they are warm blooded and their internal temperature is around 36 degrees and continuing by saying that they are able to communicate between them as well as to perform several other kinds of communication. Even though scientists say that the weight of the brain is not conclusive in judging one’s intelligence we can say that dolphins can be considered to be intelligent creatures. At least this is the impression they let on us.
According to http://www.dolphinsynergy.com “dolphins have a proportionately larger brain than humans and in some ways far more developed, that they have clearly identified and highly developed emotions such as joy, compassion, humor and emotional self-control, that they live in large complex social groups that live in great harmony.”
They are social beings, communicating among them for such activities like getting food. They have been endowed by nature with some sort of a radar sense, if we may call it so, using a technique called echolocation in order to find food and navigate.
Despite the fact that some of us love them, there are other people who by means of their activities have endangered most species of dolphins living in the world’s oceans and rivers.
Unfortunately as nice as these creatures are as cruel we seem to be. As time passes, more and more dolphins are being killed by marine pollution, by disease, by beaching due to sonar interference as well as by illegal dynamite fishing.
In order to prevent the extinction of many such dolphin species we should first stop the capturing of dolphins, in the attempt to take them from their natural environment. We should first try to figure out ways to protect them and not endanger them as many do when trying to bring them into captivity. The procedures used by men in capturing dolphins, their transportation, their constant exposure to disease in captivity may prevent us from enjoying their joyful presence.
Another cause that may lead to their extermination is brought by pollution, whether we are talking here about chemical or heavy metals pollution. As dolphins are known to be eating plants and fish, and as they are placed at the top of the food chain, they are perhaps the first to be placed under significant risk.
Noise pollution can also threat the lives of many dolphins as they may be frightened and may become disoriented and even get injured in their disorientation.
Most of them also get entangled in cages, shark safety nets and fishing nets, thus injuring them and getting closer and closer to death. Therefore we should be more careful the next time when we decide to throw a fishing nest into the water, deciding to take a close look to the life of these wonderful creatures which might help us in case we might need help.
And here one cannot but thinks about a story that was presented in Readers Digest, the story of a surfer who being attacked by a Great White Shark received help from bottlenose dolphins which intervened forming a protective ring around him, thus allowing him to get to the shore and be provided first aid there.
Isn’t this a wonderful example provided to us by dolphins? It clearly is, yet we do not seem to care about them as much as they seem to care about us.
Like all of us they are to be found at the mercy of nature as they have to struggle for their life with other bigger animals such as sharks and whales. They are to be found in an almost permanent competition with these animals, a competition for food.
Living in the wilderness of the oceans and rivers some of them might experience the effects of global warming that leads most often to the loss of significant amounts of food resources. Therefore, nature limits their survival rate too when it comes to living in the wild.
Despite the fact that most of the times they tend to treat us with joy, and despite the fact that Greek people consider them to be some sort of ‘angels of the sea’ as they tend to protect us instead of harming us, they continue to be threatened by our day to day activities involving marine life.
Perhaps one should come out with severe measures when it comes to killing or injuring dolphins, thus protecting the marine life and us as well.
