Pushing people into deeper water, head-jerking, and biting causing broken bones, skin abrasions and other injuries have all been reported with direct contact interactions with dolphins. Injuries - many inflicted by captive-bred dolphins occur more commonly in interactive programs than is reported or widely known.
Dolphins in SWTD programs have demonstrated agitated and aggressive behavior under the stressful conditions of forced interaction. These behaviors may result in serious physical injury to swimmers. SWTD programs have reported human injuries including lacerations, tooth rakes, internal injuries, broken bones, and shock.
If a dolphin approaches you while you are swimming, do not reach out and try to touch him. These dolphins are wild animals and rarely tolerate physical contact from humans. Trying to touch or grab a dolphin is illegal and is virtually guaranteed to scare them away.
DO NOT TOUCH the dolphins. If the dolphins want physical contact with people, they will initiate it. If you try to touch one dolphin, then all the dolphins invariably leave the area. Not only does this adversely affect dolphin behavior but it irritates the other people with your group since everyone loses on the swim.
This myth is often associated with a shark safety tip: “If you see dolphins, it's safe to swim there because their presence scares away sharks.” This is simply not correct. In fact, sharks and dolphins are often found near each other for a simple reason—they eat the same food, and both go where the food is.
Dolphins have even been known to protect humans in danger of sharks. Apex Prey. Orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family and have been known to hunt great white sharks when food is scarce.
In reality, dolphins have saved humans on many occasions. In two (sort of) similar incidents, one in 2004 and one in 2007, pods of dolphins circled imperiled surfers for over thirty minutes in order to ward off aggressive great white sharks.
In conclusion, the combination of dolphins' intelligence, physical abilities, and social structure, as well as their potential to produce an electrical field, makes them formidable predators in the ocean, and this is why sharks are often so afraid of them.
The dolphins responded best when touched on their snout, called the rostrum. Other very sensitive body parts were the melon, or the forehead, and the blowhole. The blowhole is an opening on the top of the head that dolphins use for breathing when they resurface for air.
If the slaps are soft and gentle, the dolphin may be alerting other dolphins or trying to gain their attention. A single explosive slap – or a succession of much firmer slaps is a definite warning sign. Sometimes we also see it as a form of play!
During social interactions, dolphins appear to reinforce social bonds by petting each other with their pectoral fins or rubbing their bodies against each other. Other caressing behaviors include swimming belly-to-belly or gently raking each other with the teeth.
It is Safe to Swim with Sharks
Even when diving with more aggressive sharks like bull sharks and great white sharks, you will be entirely secure if you go with an experienced, knowledgeable dive team. People swim with sharks every day without incident, so you have nothing to be afraid of if you swim with them.
Give the dolphins space, and don't pet them
They also have very delicate skin that can be easily scratched by our fingernails or jewelry, so you could end up inadvertently hurting them. If you see a pod of dolphins, keep your distance, let them come to you, and resist the urge to pet them (as hard as it may be!)
Despite what dolphinaria may have you believe, dolphins are apex ocean predators, capable of even killing sharks, and should be treated as such. Dolphins can be aggressive to people, other dolphins, or even self-harm. While the majority of dolphins in the U.S. are bred in captivity, they are not domesticated animals.
Pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) aren't the only marine mammals that have snacked on a shark. The sperm whale is a marine mammal that is considered an apex predator in certain habitats and it has been recorded as having eaten shark eggs.
Dolphins saving people
No one knows why, but dolphins have been saving people for thousands of years. Dating back to Ancient Greece, there are dozens of claims of dolphins rescuing people from sharks, helping drowning sailors, and guiding boats through rough waters.
The science makes one fact undeniably clear: wild dolphins of some species are noted for seeking out social encounters with humans. The phenomenon of lone sociable dolphins – for whom human contact appears to substitute for the company of their own kind – is documented extensively in the scientific literature.
Sharks are bigger, stronger, and more vicious than dolphins. – Uses an undulating, side-to-side motion from the tail and body. – Use an up-and-down motion from their tails to propel themselves through the waves. – Profound echolocation can help them identify other dolphins and enemies.
Give the victim ibuprofen if possible to control the swelling, and elevate the limb. Not all shark bites are fatal—and some are relatively moderate. However, if a shark bite happens, call 911 immediately. The victim of a shark attack may still need treatment for shock even if the wound is not deep.
The dolphins will slam their snouts into the soft stomach of the shark which leads to serious internal trauma. They also use their snouts to hit the gills of the shark. A well placed hit can cause enough damage to kill a shark. Often, the shark is frightened by the first blow and will swim away.