How Do Dolphins Fight Sharks?

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Robert Rose, I'm the curator here at Miami Seaquarium, right here at Miami, Florida. The only actual predator that dolphins have is indeed the shark, and those are once again optimistic feeders, the sharks will actually try to prey upon a pod or individual dolphins based upon there could be an injured animal, there could be a mother having a calf, something that the shark feels that it can take the opportunity to actually get a meal and feed upon. Now dolphins are very intelligent animals, they recognize the danger that's associated with the shark, and what they could actually do to an individual or to their pod, so typically when they are to fend off a shark and attack they'll do it through a group effort. They have the ability to communicate amongst each other, and they certainly can signal when danger is about. And then if they are indeed going to fight a shark they will do it in numbers and in some of the video that has seen of dolphins protecting their pod, or individuals is shown them actually ramming the shark. What they will do is typically just run into the side of the shark. They're much more intelligent animals than sharks. The shark is just really acting on an instinct, a very basic behavior, trying to get something to eat. The dolphins can recognize that and in turn they can actually protect their pod of the individuals by grouping up as a team and safety in numbers and by actually ramming the shark and hopefully either hurting it or at least making it go away. Well, a lot of times at the beach some people think that there's a shark when maybe indeed it could be a dolphin, and although they both have the triangular dorsal fin, it's usually very easy to determine if you watch that dorsal fin closely. Just from the mechanics by which a dolphin swims, the side to side motion of a shark will lead the dorsal fin cutting through the water staying at the surface, where a dolphin, the dorsal fin will go up and down."