Photo: John Downer, BBC
Leave it to the BBC to expose in a documentary that dolphins get high in a most unusual way. The TV series, called “Spy In the Pod” filmed the dolphins nudging a puffer fish with their snouts, which apparently causes the puffer fish as a defense mechanism to release a toxin into the water. The toxin seems to lull the dolphins into a “trance-like state.” According to the Daily Mail, “at one point the dolphins are shown just floating just underneath the water’s surface mesmerized by their own reflections.” The dolphins are also seen “gently passing the fish between them” for 20-30 minutes at a time. The researchers who made the film believe that the dolphins had “experience” with this behavior, saying ‘The dolphins were specifically going for the puffers and deliberately handling them with care.’ Dude, pass the puffer!
February 19, 2019 » dolpins, puffer fish
