bottlenose dolphin

16 Stories

Rogue Dolphin Attacker May Be Lonely

Japan sees a spike of attacks on humans by the same bottlenose dolphin

(Newser) - Ah, dolphins: So cute, social, and intelligent—except when they're angry, lonely, and perhaps a little sexually frustrated, in which case they can be dangerous, aggressive, and more than a little unfriendly toward humans. Such is the case of a stretch of Japanese shoreline, reports the BBC , which has...

4 People Attacked by Dolphins on Japan Beach

Officials are warning swimmers away from the water if dolphins are seen

(Newser) - Over the course of one day on a central Japan beach, four people were attacked by dolphins. Early Sunday, a man in his 60s was attacked a few yards off the popular Suishohama Beach in the town of Mihama, Fukui prefecture; he was left with broken ribs and bites to...

World's Oldest Solitary Dolphin Has Vanished

Residents of Ireland's Dingle Bay are searching for Fungie, a bottlenose who's lived there since 1983

(Newser) - Has anyone seen Fungie? A dolphin that has resided in Ireland's Dingle Bay for nearly four decades has up and vanished, and residents aren't just missing him for sentimental reasons (though there's that, too)—Fungie had become a vital part of the local economy. Euronews reports that...

Dolphins Dying in Unusually High Numbers in US

More than 260, three times the normal amount in states bordering Gulf of Mexico

(Newser) - It is, in the jargon of the NOAA , an "unusual mortality event" (UME). The government-ese refers to the deaths of more than 260 bottlenose dolphins since February in states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. While stranding deaths occur every year, the numbers this year are three times higher than...

Russia's Military Buys 5 Dolphins, but It's Unclear Why

Moscow just came into a dolphin-training facility; is it resurrecting old programs?

(Newser) - Dolphins can do more than just jump through hoops and balance balls. They can be trained for a variety of military—some say deadly—applications, which is why the Russian military's recent purchase of five bottlenose dolphins is getting some attention. Russia's Defense Ministry sought bids on a...

DNA Analysis Fills in Piece of Dolphins' History

It suggests they moved into the Mediterranean roughly 18K years ago

(Newser) - Bottlenose dolphins may be an iconic draw to the Mediterranean, but they're not exactly indigenous. So say researches out of the University of Lincoln in the UK, who report in the journal Evolutionary Biology that the water-dwelling mammals didn't arrive until the end of the last Ice Age...

Japan Launches Dolphin Slaughter
Japan Finishes Dolphin Slaughter—Under Cover
UPDATED
Jan 21, 2014 7:50 AM CST

Japan Finishes Dolphin Slaughter—Under Cover

Dozens slaughtered for meat amid protests

(Newser) - Japanese fishermen have wrapped up their annual dolphin hunt and slaughter in Taiji cove amid international protests . CNN reports that some 500 bottlenose dolphins were driven into the cove—a larger number than usual, though Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is sticking with its original claim that 250 or so dolphins...

Furor Erupts as Dolphins Set for Slaughter at Japan Cove

Annual hunt at Taiji again under fire as 200+ animals await slaughter

(Newser) - More than 200 bottlenose dolphins await their deaths in Japan's Taiji cove—made infamous in 2009 documentary The Cove —and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is doing its best to draw attention and outrage to the annual slaughter. As CNN reports, Japanese fishermen herded a pod of 250...

Dolphin Deaths Skyrocket Off East Coast

Reports cite 7 times more deaths than usual in July

(Newser) - Bottlenose dolphins off the East Coast are suffering what officials have dubbed an "unusual mortality event." There have been 124 strandings reported between Virginia and New York since July, with 89 occurring in that month—a figure some seven times higher than July's usual death rate, the...

Dolphins Have Names for Each Other
 Dolphins Have 
 Names for 
 Each Other 
study says
Jul 23, 2013 2:00 AM CDT

Dolphins Have Names for Each Other

They respond to 'signature whistles': researchers

(Newser) - Sure, call him Flipper, but he's probably already got a name among his own kind. Bottlenose dolphins appear to have individual identifying whistles, researchers in Scotland find. The scientists recorded the "signature whistles" of several of the animals in a group, along with other sounds they make. The...

Dolphins Killing SF Bay Porpoises

Attackers are young, male, sexually frustrated: experts

(Newser) - Corpses of battered porpoises are turning up on beaches along the San Francisco Bay. The culprit, experts say, is the bottlenose dolphin. "I've lived here 15 years, and I've never seen anything like that," says one biologist who witnessed a porpoise killing while jogging on the...

Zoo Dolphin Dies in Accident
 Zoo Dolphin Dies in Accident 
Sep 7, 2011 5:02 AM CDT

Zoo Dolphin Dies in Accident

Dolphins were playing when 'freak' accident occurred, say trainers

(Newser) - A freak dolphin collision at an Illinois aquarium killed a young female, reports ABC News . Trainers did not see what happened, but say the dolphins were playing when they heard a "pop" just before an afternoon show earlier this week. They rushed the 4-year-old bottlenose dolphin into a medical...

Baby Dolphin Die-Off in Gulf Grows

Officials say it's too soon to blame the oil spill

(Newser) - More and more young bottlenose dolphins are turning up dead in the Gulf, and scientists aren’t entirely sure why. The number of dead dolphins has swelled to 80, according to National Geographic , with about half of them being calves. Speculation is running rampant that the deaths are connected to...

Beached Dolphins Often Deaf: Study Shows Dolphins With Hearing Loss May Be Getting Lost, Going Hungry
 Many Beached 
 Dolphins Are Deaf 
study says
Nov 15, 2010 2:23 PM CST

Many Beached Dolphins Are Deaf

Hearing loss can cause dolphins to get lost, go hungry

(Newser) - In an undersea world where hearing is as valuable—sometimes more valuable—than sight, being deaf can be a death sentence. New research finds that many dolphins stranded near shore have hearing loss, and researchers theorize that loss could explain why they're beached. Without the ability to hear, dolphins can't...

Swimming With Dolphins 'Traumatizes Them'

Harassed dolphins spend less time feeding, nurturing young

(Newser) - Zanzibar's dolphins are becoming incredibly stressed out by the steady stream of tourists swimming with them, British scientists say. The researchers found that dolphins become stressed when people swim close to them or touch them. The dolphins also become unsettled when tourists boats are around and spend less time resting,...

Scientists: Dolphins Are 'Non-Human Persons'

New research shows them to be smarter than chimps

(Newser) - Dolphins are not only the world's smartest animal after humans, they're so intelligent they deserve to be classed as "non-human persons." So say scientists who argue their research on dolphins' brains shows it is unethical to keep such animals captive in amusement parks or to kill them for...

16 Stories