Can We Stop Judging Dolphins Because of 'Crimes' They Committed??

Oh my gosh this title is insane (in a bad way)

Okay, so I don't know if you've heard, but a whole bunch of people have been going around calling dolphins the 'humans of the sea', because they have allegedly done bad things to humans and other animals.

First of all, I just want to say that all the crimes dolphins have 'committed', if a human were to do so (to another human or otherwise), they should be reprimanded and given jail time.

The problem arises when people say dolphins (or any animal) are monsters. 

Here's a quick overview of Dolphin behaviours connected to this:

01 Using Puffer Fish For Pleasure

Some dolphins have been seen using puffer fish to basically get high. They do so carefully, in smaller doses, so as not to accidentally kill themselves. They pass around the fish in a circle, so everyone has a chance to feel this way. 

This shows a lot of their intelligence and ability to learn. "Play" is just what social animals do to establish a hierarchy and sharpen their skills in hopes to help their family, instead of being a burden. And to justify this, if it feels good, they'll do it? I mean think about it. Say, you have a dog. Your dog likes to eat treats a lot more than its regular food, correct? So which bag is your dog reaching for the most? Its normal food, or its special treat bag?

This doesn't physically harm the puffer fish.

02 Killing for Sport

Dolphins have also been spotted killing small porpoises and turtles just for play, leaving the bodies after killing the animal.

I'm honestly not sure why people think it's cruel and inhumane* (I'll get back to this later!!), as mentioned before, social animals often exhibit playful behaviour to strengthen their group skills, establish a hierarchy, and it's their instincts to do so.

It's not like the animal is just wasted, either. The same events which happen after a whale fall (when a whale dies, its body sinks to the bottom of the sea floor), and provides a stable food source to other animals around. It's just nature being nature.

03 Reproduction Strategies

Male dolphins have been known to be very aggressive when it comes to reproduction. A common example is when 2 - 3 male dolphins surround a female dolphin who has taken too long to decide who to mate with. The males basically force the female to mate with them, in hopes to successfully have children. This is seen as a crime (to be clear again, if a human were to do this, I believe they should be in jail for the next 500 - 600 years :3).

What's often left out is that the female has her own mechanisms to avoid this (which you may search up, I don't want this taken down)

Also, dolphins have these instincts to ensure there are many more generations to follow. It's part of a healthy ecosystem, especially as they are very prone to climate change (as all marine mammals are)

And just to add, the female is not scarred for life and will continue to mate once she's found someone she seems well to mate with (it's part of choosing the best one to ensure the offspring lives, which is part of natural selection)

04 Instances to Humans

Some of the most popular stories with dolphins involve humans. Historically, dolphins have been seen saving people, letting them ride on their backs to get to shore, etc.

Nowadays, there are a lot more stories to tell. Dolphins have harmed humans before, but what animal hasn't?

Plus, this is pretty rare, and you have to consider the fact that they are wild animals.

Okay, so why aren't they monsters?

Calling an animal a 'monster, bully, or criminal', is harmful. First, implying human morals to an animal is pointless. Humans and animals might share some anatomy, but the greatest difference is that humans do have morals and ethics. Animals do not. An animal would steal from another animal if it meant they had something to eat. The only thing on their minds is survival.

And calling animals mean names won't directly hurt them, although looking at past conservation stories shows something in common. They all appeal to the public, who then donate to the conservation, and make it possible. 

For example, if you were to look at Keiko's story, you would find that the orca had been a character of a film which did very well. Once the public found out about Keiko's status, they were eager to help the animal learn how to be wild again. (For context, Keiko was an orca starring in the film 'Free Willy', about a captive orca being set free.)

Keiko unfortunately didn't do very well in the wild, and live a much shorter life, had he just stayed in a pod. Although, the meaning is that Keiko did a lot better than the captive animals who either just stayed in tanks / cages, or were released in the wild without a second thought.

Saying an entire family of animals are bad and shouldn't be praised is harming the conservation, especially if a lot of people start believing this.

It's basically just streamlining their extinction.

You can't just throw 37 different species out the window because you thought the animal was mean for eating meat.

It does what it does to survive. It's also keeping the ecosystem alive.

Thenks!!