Our family bathrooms may not be dedicated to them the way that they were in the ’90s, but dolphins are still a really popular mammal. I mean, of course they are, look at their wee faces!
One thing we have been learning over time, however, is that they are a lot more mischevious than we first thought. For example, did you know that dolphins like to swim through self-made bubbles and surf in waves? Adorable!
However, I just learned something about these scamps of the ocean that is both horrifying and, to be honest, absolutely hilarious.
The reason why dolphins taunt pufferfish
In a BBC series called Spy In The Pod, a documentary that used hidden cameras disguised as tuna and squid, to go into the heart of the dolphin’s world and get up close with their everyday lives.
One part of the footage revealed that dolphins appear to get high off pufferfish defence chemicals.
According to The Smithsonian, pufferfish produce a potent defensive chemical, which they eject when threatened. In small enough doses, however, the toxin seems to induce “a trance-like state” in dolphins that come into contact with it.
In the documentary, the dolphins gently played with the pufferfish, passing it between one another (puff, puff, pass, anyone?) which was in direct contradiction to what they did with other fish, which they immediately tore apart.
In a hilarious development, the dolphins were also filmed floating just underneath the water’s surface, mesmerised by their own reflections. Just like we do in club toilets at 2am!
Researchers believe this was not a one-off
Speaking to the Daily Mail, series producer Rob Pilley said that he didn’t believe this was a one-off encounter, saying: “The dolphins were specifically going for the puffers and deliberately handling them with care.”
I’m ob-sessed.