We’ve always been told that dolphins are clever creatures. They’re smart, friendly and resourceful, and apparently, they are collaborative! This group of dolphins has become a “tactical unit” that operates and accomplishes their mission for food, better together.
These dolphins live 20 minutes outside of Savannah, Georgia, amidst the winding tidal marshes. They are a rogue group that has banded together to work with each other to capture fish better than they could alone. It’s a learned trick called, “dolphin stranding” and no other dolphins on the planet do it. Only these ones in the southern United States, off the coasts of Carolina and Georgia.
This is how it happens. In the video, we learn that the dolphins swim inland when the tide is low, sucking up the water away from the shore. The group of dolphins is on a “stakeout,” waiting for the right time to pounce. When the water is low enough, they corral the fish closer to the bank by creating a full-force wave.
It is this wave that pushes them onshore, “beaching” both the dolphins and fish, allowing the dolphins to eat what they’ve brought with them ashore. However, this is very risky behavior. The dolphins can inadvertently beach themselves by getting stuck in the mud. But with all the practice these guys have, it’s likely they’ll be able to pull through. They’ve been doing such a good job up to this point that the neighborhood egrets and seagulls have come to rely on this tactic to feed themselves as well!
Click below to get a better idea of how these brilliant dolphins manage to pull off such a scheme!
