Dolphins are highly intelligent creatures, so many people wonder if they have the capacity to form close bonds with one another. If you have the opportunity to see these magnificent animals in action on a dolphin excursion, you may notice they tend to travel in groups. Do dolphins only form pods out of convenience, or can deeper friendships develop between members? The following guide explores the complex relationships between dolphins.

Social Groups

Like humans, dolphins are social beings. They form groups, or pods, of various sizes to hunt and defend themselves. These groups vary in size from two to hundreds of members. Throughout a dolphin’s life, they may move freely from pod to pod with no restrictions.

Dolphins communicate through whistles. Each member has their own unique call, which functions similarly to a name. Researchers have discovered that bottlenose dolphins will respond to hearing their own signature whistle by repeating it and would not respond to others. This unique quality allows dolphins to identify one another. Listen for their distinct whistles if you encounter them on a dolphin excursion.

Friendship

Within pods, dolphins can develop even closer bonds. Scientists now believe they can create strong, long-lasting friendships. One study on long-term social memory found that captive dolphins are far more likely to respond to whistles of past tank mates than those of unfamiliar individuals, which suggests dolphins can carry lifelong memories of each other.

Along with their preference for familiar individuals, dolphins appear to make friendships based on shared interests. “Sponging,” a socially learned foraging technique, takes much longer than other methods. Dolphins that practice sponging have been found to spend much more time together than with non-spongers.

Unrelated males also form tight-knit pods to increase their chances of mating. If you come across these pods on your dolphin excursion, you may even catch them swimming with their fins on top of each other, akin to human hand-holding.

If you’re ready to learn more about the complex social structures of dolphins, embark on a scenic journey with Dolphin Excursions Hawaii. This boat tour gives you a once-in-a-lifetime dolphin experience along the gorgeous West Coast of Oahu. Their staff of marine biologists and naturalists are eager to share their fascinating knowledge about the diverse ecosystem on your trip, from colorful tropical fish to lively spinner dolphins. Call (808) 239-5579 today to book a tour. For more information about their dolphin excursions, visit them online.