The US Navy strapped cameras to dolphins, which are trained to help identify undersea mines and protect some of America's nuclear stockpile, then gave them free rein to hunt in San Diego Bay, reports PLOS ONE.
The cameras, strapped to six bottlenose dolphins from the US National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF), recorded six months of footage and audio – providing us with new insights into these mammals' hunting strategies and communications.
The recording equipment was placed on their backs or sides, displaying disturbingly odd angles of their eyes and mouths.The cameras recorded the sound of the animals' hearts as they pumped hard to keep up with the strenuous activities, and revealed that rather than ramming their victims down, the dolphins instead used suction to help gulp down their still struggling prey with impressively strong throat muscles.
The lead author of the study, Sam Ridgway, recently passed away at age 86, leaving behind a rich legacy of research.
Bd-pratidin/Ishrar Tabassum
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