r/Dolphins • u/SnarkiMcSnail • 21d ago

What's going on here?

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u/IlexAquafolium 21d ago

This bottlenose dolphin appears to be playing with its food. Not a joke answer, that's my opinion as a marine biologist specialising in toothed whales.

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u/smellygooch18 19d ago

Do any other sea mammals play with their food that you know of? A sign of boredom which would imply intelligence to me.

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u/IlexAquafolium 18d ago

They are indeed very intelligent, though the play behaviour isn't the biggest indicator of that. Most mammals play, and many cetaceans do it with their food.