Perspectives on the Relationship between Dolphins and Humans - Essay Example

Perspectives on the Relationship between Dolphins and Humans Introduction Dolphins are beautiful sea dwelling creatures that have shown compassion and open-hearted acceptance of human beings while revealing a deeper intelligence and emotional scale than many other animals. Stories from ancient Crete tell of mysterious sea creatures that would appear out of nowhere and save drowning sailors, help to guide lost ships to land, and would show a deep curiosity about human beings as they made entry into the ocean. These stories have helped to contribute to a friendly feeling about dolphins and their relationship to human beings (White 7). Dolphins are viewed as allies to human beings, their actions seemingly non-threatening and their motivations appearing to be intent on being helpful. However, it is unclear that the alliance that dolphins feel towards human beings is adequately shown in reciprocation towards the dolphins. The following study will provide a framework for studying the perceptions that humans have in regard to their relationships with dolphins. Because of their high intelligence there is some speculation that they should be considered ‘persons’. White defines ‘human’ as a scientific classification with ‘person’ being a philosophical concept that can easily be transferred onto the dolphin species. The primary reasons to consider dolphins as ‘persons’ is for the purpose of giving them rights. White continues to describe the philosophical foundation for considering dolphins ‘persons’ through the fact of their high intelligence and in that because of this intelligence, they should have the benefit of rights. The problem in ascribing rights to another species is that it would conflict with the human belief that they are the center of the world and the creation of that world. Humans believe that all things within the world are there for the benefit of human kind. White states that “the existence of nonhuman persons would fly in the face of everything our species has believed about its uniqueness for thousands of years” (9). To reclassify the concept of person towards a nonhuman species would create a fundamental shift in knowledge and thought that would equal the revelation that the Earth was not at the center of the universe, but that the sun was the center of the planetary system that was a part of the universe (White 9). However, just because a belief shapes the general social conscious it does not mean it is right. Humans did have to get used to the idea that the Earth was factually not the center of the universe. The truth about dolphins is based upon studies of cognition as opposed to intelligence. Intelligence is a difficult concept to study, so instead psychologists have turned to studying cognition using the size of the brain and the EQ, which measures the size of the brain in relationship to the size of the body, as a way to determine higher or lower states of cognition. Next to the human being, dolphins have the highest EQ in the animal kingdom. According to work done by Dudzinski and Frohoff, “Most scientists are convinced…that the structure of the dolphin brain itself, along with the observation of complex behavior, reveals that dolphins are cognitively complex animals” (93). Studies with dolphins have shown that not only do the associate human words and phrases with their intent, but they understand the concept. As an example, a researcher working with dolphins discovered that not only could he command a dolphin to jump over a paddle, if the paddle was place somewhere where it was not possible to jump over it, the dolphin would take and drag it to the center of the pool where it usually was in order to jump over it. If the world over was included in the command, but not with a known command order, the dolphin still understood what was intended by the concept of over. Additional information gathered by Dr. Richard C. Connor has shown that bottlenose dolphins have complex relationships, specifically between the males, in which alliances are formed for different purposes and that those alliances will shift when need dictates that they do so. Dr Connor states that “selection for social intelligence in the context of shifting alliances will depend on the extent to which there are strategic options and risks” (587). The observations made from this study are that the social patterns shown by the dolphins show that they have a complex set of behaviors that indicate specific choices being made in regard to how they structure their relationships. Conner goes on to postulate that larger brain sizes in mammals such as humans, elephants, and dolphins, evolved because of a need to outsmart the multitudes of predators that were a threat to those species. This multiple and varied forms of threat, including internal conflict for humans, lead to the increase in brain size in order to survive in environments that required a clever response to a predatory confrontation which had imbalances of resources. A human has nothing but his clever use of tools to fend off the attack of a predator such as one that is feline oriented that will, as an example, have teeth, speed, and claws that humans are ill equipped to deal with if no brain power is used in the attack (588). Dolphins have similar needs in their environment and their brains, according to Connor’s theories, have adjusted to accommodate the cleverness required to survive. There are two primary concerns where the relationship between dolphins and humans is concerned. The first is that of captivity. Dolphins have a face that naturally appears to be in a smile. In addition, they will readily engage in activities with human beings. This leads some to the conclusion that dolphins are happy in captivity. This is not necessarily the case. Dolphins are often depressed in captivity and seen doing a stress movement, bobbing back and forth, when held under captive conditions (Reiss 249). Most dolphin advocates recognize that those in long term captivity and born in captivity cannot realistically be set free in the wild. Therefore it appears to be the consensus that breeding programs should be eliminated and that regeneration of populations in captivity should be discontinued. The standard by which all aquariums in the United States, Europe and Australia operate is that no dolphin is taken from the wild, that is not injured or in need, and put into captivity (Reiss 249). The second problem associated with the relationship between humans and dolphins is that of pollution in the waters of the world. According to Dr. Mike Bossley, oceanic researcher who monitors dolphin populations in the Gulf of Mexico, “toxic gulf waters are killing baby dolphins and could eventually wipe out local dolphin populations” (Bulbeck 110). In order to treat dolphins with respect, it must be considered important to treat their habitats with respect. In defining dolphins as persons, it would be necessary to explore ways in which to facilitate better environments in which the dolphins can dwell. Exploring beliefs that people hold about dolphins provides a basis for a discussion about the potential of seeing these beautiful and intelligent creatures given rights and dignities that have yet to be given to any species of the animal kingdom. In order to understand whether or not people would be open to considering dolphins as ‘persons’, short films about dolphins were shown to participants whose reactions were gauged both before they were told about the cognitive capacity of dolphins and after they were introduced to a small amount of information in relationship to the dolphin. This information was then used to discuss the experiences that humans have when contemplating the place of the dolphin within the world. Methodology In order to study the relationship of human beings to dolphins I decided to show several films on dolphins to participants and then discuss the way they feel about the animals in relationship to how they are treated in a primarily human environment. I then introduced information into the conversation about dolphin cognition in order to see if that knowledge would change the way in which the participants viewed the relationship between dolphins and humans. The observations of the films and the interviews took place using a laptop to show the films that were taken off of Youtube and the venue for the viewing was in a classroom. The name of the two films used were “Dolphin play Bubble Rings” and “Dolphin Friendly”. The first event took place with five students all watching the films, and then participating in the discussion. Three additional participants were shown the films then interviewed in order to see of the group dynamic brought about different answers than the individual interview. Although the films were short, they provided ample opportunity to record the reactions of the participants as they watched the films. The observation of the participants allowed for a visual concept of how the films were being received. The interview process allowed for the experiences of the participants in regard to the relationship that they perceived between humans and dolphins to be further explored. Questions about their own feelings about dolphins and the general relationship that humans had with dolphins were framed by three basic questions. The three questions that were primarily a part of the interview process were as follows: 1- What is the ideal relationship between humans and dolphins? 2- How can you describe dolphins? 3- How can people deal with dolphins that are currently in captivity? These three questions were used to frame the discussion that was held with the participants in order to understand how they viewed dolphins in relationship to the human existence. After the participants were asked these questions and allowed to express their view points, they were told information about the brain of the dolphin and the depression that often accompanies captivity. The three framing questions were then asked again to see if the point of view of the participant changed after having received more information. The opinions of the participants were very important in understanding how they viewed the human relationship with dolphins. The most important question in regard to the research that had been done was to find out if the participants could ever equate the importance of a dolphin with the importance of a human. The defining question, after explaining the philosophical approach to the idea of ‘person’ as described by White, was to ask if the participant can view a dolphin as a person. This question proves an understanding of how the participants can come to conclusions based up on their beliefs about the human position within the world. As White suggested, the human belief system that they are at the center of the ecosystem is a difficult social construct to bypass in order to gain rights for other creatures, even when those creatures show an extreme level of cognitive awareness. The experiment is built upon principles of qualitative study in which the experience of the participant is at the center of the inquiry. Through examining the experiences of the participants, an understanding of how human existence frames the experience of interactions with dolphins will provide context for making changes to the way in which humans interact with these intelligent and friendly mammals. In observing reactions to dolphins and in discussing the way in which the human participants respond to dolphins, the researcher can gather information that relate to the social relationship that humans have offered to dolphins and how they see change as a part of that relationship. The experience provides details about how perceptions of interactions can be further explored. Works Cited Bulbeck, Chilla. Facing the Wild: Ecotourism, Conservation, and Animal Encounters. London: Earthscan, 2005. Print. Chiajungchai. “Dolphin Play Bubble Rings”. Youtube. 16 December 2007. Web. 10 November 2011. Conner, Richard C. “Dolphin Social Intelligence: Complex Alliance Relationships in Bottlenose Dolphins and a Consideration of Selective Environments for Extreme Brain Size Evolution in Mammals”. Biological Sciences. 362.1489: (29 April 2007), 587-602. Dudzinski, Kathleen, and Toni Frohoff. Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008. Print. Girlqld. “Dolphin Friendly”. Youtube. 5 November 2009. Web. 10 November 2011. Reiss, Diana. The Dolphin in the Mirror: Exploring Dolphin Minds and Saving Dolphin Lives. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. Print. White, Thomas I. In Defense of Dolphins: The New Moral Frontier. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2007. Print. Read More