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Flippers and Flutes: How Music Helps Us Talk to Dolphins

Flippers and Flutes: How Music Helps Us Talk to Dolphins

Music is a global language that binds us human beings. But the question is: can music also help us interact with other species?

At least, that’s what Australian National University (ANU) researchers have proposed following a 2021 experiment. Using musical instruments such as flutes and piccolos, the researchers attempted to communicate with dolphins at Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia.

Although it may seem like something out of “The Legend of Zelda,” Australian scientists are trying to see whether music can be utilized as a gateway language for communicating with cetaceans. This new dolphin knowledge might be the key that scientists need to comprehend these endearing creatures better.

Read on to learn more about this fascinating experiment.

Communication in Dolphins

Dolphin communication is divided into two categories of sounds: clicks and whistles. They utilize clicks to perceive their surroundings via echolocation. Whistles are used to communicate and engage with other group members and potentially other species. Each dolphin in a pod has a “signature whistle” that they use to distinguish themselves.

Echolocation in Dolphins

Most toothed whales, including dolphins, have superb vision and can see above and below water. However, dolphins also use their highly evolved echolocation to “see” great distances underwater. They produce sound waves that enable them to form an image of their surroundings by interpreting the echoes bouncing off aquatic objects and creatures. Dolphin echolocation helps them to discover food in even the murkiest of conditions. They may also utilize it to locate prey hiding beneath the sand.

Signature Dolphin Whistle

Dolphins utilize distinctive whistles to communicate, address others, facilitate mother-calf reunions, and perhaps signal their association with others. These distinct whistles convey their identity, location, and emotional condition. A bottlenose dolphin, for instance, identifies itself by using its trademark whistle. Individual dolphins can be identified by scientists based on their unique whistle. Signature whistle frequencies generally range from 7 to 15 kHz and last less than one second.

A mother dolphin may whistle to her offspring for several days after giving birth. It aids the calf’s identification by imprinting acoustically. A dolphin’s characteristic whistle might develop as early as one month. Scientists hypothesized that dolphins might duplicate one other’s whistles and utilize them to communicate.

However, it’s important to understand that dolphins do not communicate using a “language” as we humans do. According to scientists, dolphins may have an advanced communication method using various clicks and whistles, but evidence suggests they don’t have a specific dolphin language. Nonetheless, scientists are still looking into it.

Other Sounds and Loud Impulse Sounds

Loud impulse noises recorded by bottlenose dolphins might be utilized to deceive predators or shock prey. However, it has not been validated by scientists. According to people who have been on one of John’s Pass’ dolphin cruise, dolphins make audible sounds above the surface of the water. They create sounds with flippers or flukes as they breach, leap, or strike the water’s surface. These noises might be utilized by dolphins to communicate.

Music and Dolphin Sounds

In December 2021, researchers from The Australian National University led a demonstration in the water to engage with dolphins in Port Stephens. The dolphins liked the high-pitched frequencies of different musical instruments and singing. As a matter of fact, a huge audience of dancing dolphins was drawn in by a recorder player, a flute player, a piccolo player, and an opera vocalist.

Researchers stressed the need for diverse instruments since they can achieve frequencies similar to dolphin vocalizations that are well beyond the human voice’s capabilities. According to Dr. Olivia De Bergerac, a neurologist and dolphin researcher, the cetacean system quickly assimilates information-rich senses. As a result, music is faster than words and the ideal vehicle for communication.

Bill Smith, an indigenous Australian, used his didgeridoo to “speak” with the dolphins twenty years ago. Three years later, Camille, a famous French singer, made contact with dolphins in Australia. “Over the years, I have noticed that singing and performing music is the best method to stimulate interactions with wild dolphins,” she continued.

Impromptu Performances

The dolphins reacted well when exposed to impromptu performances by singers and musicians, including flutist Sally Walker.

“The first meeting was spectacular as one dolphin lingered at the bow of the boat under the flute and Sally,” De Bergerac added, referring to what they accomplished with the didgeridoo. “The most fantastic reaction for me was seeing the dolphins follow us out of the harbor and join us as we swam while Sally continued to play music.”

Cetaceans have been seen to respond to music. This is also true for other animals, such as a pod of belugas enticed to accompany an icebreaker to safety by playing classical music.

Using a hydrophone, researchers captured dolphin noises. They could examine their vocalizations like a piece of music thanks to the recording.

In their subsequent study, researchers plan to build on this strategy by playing music at greater octaves over underwater speakers to examine how the dolphins respond to changing speeds and pitches. They want to lower the level of dolphin noises by two to three octaves and transcribe them to seek musical patterns comparable to the studies on birds singing.

The Big Idea

Understanding how dolphins react to music and other stimuli will help us learn more about these very clever creatures. They are challenging to study in the wild, so understanding how to attract them and monitor their behavior is critical.

There is still more research on these enigmatic creatures, particularly in this musical context. Do they like specific sorts of music over others? Do they enjoy the music, or are they just intrigued by the novel noises created by researchers? Only time will tell, but investigation and curiosity will get us closer to the answers!

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About the author

Saman Iqbal

Saman is a law student. She enjoys writing about tech, politics and the world in general. She's an avid reader and writes fictional prose in her free time.







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