The scene was like something out of a children's book. A pod of sperm whales curiously circled around two scientists as they trod water in the Atlantic Ocean near the Azores. The pod included a matriarch who stretched 30 feet long, another adult and two calves. To the scientists' surprise, an adult bottlenose dolphin was also part of the family.
The dolphin had a curved spine, and the scientists thought it was likely a congenital disability that made it hard for the dolphin to keep up with its quick-moving kin. The sperm whales seemed more at the dolphin's pace, and the pod accepted it as a member. This amazed the scientists, who noted that sperm whales and dolphins typically don't associate.
Animals that share space sometimes develop unique relationships. Marine biologists have long wondered about the mammals that swim in the same waters. Dolphins and whales often cross paths. And while they might ignore each other, scientists are also learning how cetaceans sometimes interact and work together. It's a complex relationship because marine mammals can see each other as predators, playmates or prey.
Cetacean Behavior
Marine biologists would like to know more about cetacean behavior but are limited to what they can observe from boats or shallow depths. While what happens deep under the water line is a mystery, scientists have observed insightful encounters at the water's surface.
