How are Dolphins Important to Humans?
Dolphins have shown some practical value to humans. They do so by being of use in Naval operations and providing entertainment at marine parks. The subject of captive dolphins stirs up controversy among animal rights proponents who feel that these animals should not be kept captive and utilized for profit. Nevertheless, dolphins remain a popular animal for humans, and interaction with them is likely to continue.
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Identification
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Dolphins are a part of the cetacean order which also includes whales and porpoises. They have an acute sense of hearing and also can emit sound waves that return an echoing vibration, an ability called echolocation. Echolocation provides dolphins with precise information about objects which they cannot see very well in dark waters. With echolocation, dolphins can discover how fast an object is moving, how big it is, its shape and texture, and which direction it is headed.
Function
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The United States Navy Marine Mammal Program studies, trains and deploys dolphins on military missions. The Navy has utilized the dolphins' sonar skills since the 1960's. They do this to help military personnel locate sea mines and other explosive devices like torpedoes. Using echolocation, dolphins can distinguish between natural objects and man-made ones. When they find a suspicious object, they report back to the ship. Naval personnel can then either disarm the device or avoid it. In addition, military dolphins have been deployed to the Persian Gulf to watch for swimmers and divers who appear unexpectedly and could possibly be terrorists.
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Benefits
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As one of the few wild animals which allow many people to get close and interact with them, captive dolphins are a natural for programs called Swim With The Dolphins. These programs allow people to observe dolphins in close proximity and even to touch and play with them. SWTD programs which involve wild dolphins keep observers at a distance, but the programs allow them to be near enough for the people to almost feel like they are part of marine life. Either way, experiences like this can increase respect and compassion for wild animals. The programs also serve to create more interest in learning.
Potential
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Research conducted on interactions between humans and dolphins, such as the pioneering work by John Lilly in the 1960's, can point the way to potential for beneficial communication with other species as well. Dolphins are fairly amenable toward humans, and they are intelligent enough to communicate at a higher level than occurs with most animals. Researchers in this field hope that, through this communication, dolphins will eventually be able to teach us more about themselves and other marine animals than we could ever learn otherwise.
Theories/Speculation
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Dolphin Assisted Therapy is an alternative medicine treatment whose adherents claim it can bring relief for everything from autism to spinal cord injuries, from chronic pain to cancer. The therapy involves swimming with dolphins for a few hours at a marine park or aquarium in exchange for several hundred dollars. Some choose to enroll in week-long programs which can cost thousands of dollars. To date, the only concrete evidence of a benefit from DAT is relaxation and stress reduction. That is evidenced by human brain-wave activity.
The program has raised controversy among skeptics who believe desperate people are being duped out of their money. Concern is also raised about the occasional injuries to humans in SWTD programs from dolphins acting aggressively, and that increasing interest in DAT programs will likely cause more of these instances. In any case, more research is necessary to determine whether DAT programs have any significant benefits that justify the costs and risks.
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Resources
- Photo Credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/talkrhubarb/223175100/
