Clicks, squawks, whistles, and squeaks. Those are all different sounds dolphins make starting from birth, to communicate with each other. They also use their bodies to communicate as well. They blow bubbles, caress their fins, and clap their jaws. These motions are similar to human facial expressions and gestures (The Secret Language of Dolphins).

Each dolphin’s signature whistle is different from almost any others. They sometimes make clicking sounds as well. They might make a couple thousand clicking sounds a second. These clicks bounce off of what is under the water, and the dolphins listen to the echo that comes back to them.  This helps them figure out distance, shape, and size of whatever the sounds bounced off. This can help them locate prey as far away as the length of a football field. (What’s up with dolphins?)

This technique that dolphins use is known as echolocation. They send out ultra-sonic clicking sounds from a place on their head known as the melon. The melon is the swollen area of the dolphins head. These clicking sounds are sent out in the shape of a beam so that they bounce off and echo back to the dolphin. This is a form of sonar, kind of like what bats use. When a dolphin uses echolocation, it can help them find prey hiding under a rock. It even helps them identify objects that might be mysterious to them and later make connections to the object of things they see above water (Diving into the MYSTERIOUS WORLD of DOLPHINS).

Not only do dolphins use echo location, they also communicate through body language and touch.  An example of touch would be a mother and her calf swimming together. The calf places itself under the mother’s tail while still touching her. This gives the calf the feeling of protection and the mother always knows where the calf is as well.  An example of communication through body language would be a dolphin jumping out of the water. The way the dolphin lands usually marks the location of the dolphin for others to know. Another example of body language would be the way the dolphin is swimming through the water. A male may swim towards a female with its chest sticking out to show his strength and size to attract his mate (http://www.dolphinreef.co.il).

Over all, dolphins use echolocation to communicate with each other, to locate their distance apart as well as to find their prey. They have multiple noises they use and each one means something different. Also, none of them are the same. They may imitate each other’s noises, but their signature noises are all a little different. Besides echolocation, they communicate through touch and body language. Touch can refer to a mother and her calf while body language can be explained through jumping, swimming speed, and the way they glide through the water.

 

In what ways do dolphins communicate with each other?

What is echolocation used for?

Explain how dolphins communicate through touch or body language?