Saturday, March 19, 2005

Dolphins are cute???

Who doesn't know that dolphins are the most popular fish? I bet nobody! They are one intelligent species!! But tonight, I was so surprised to find out that dolphins have a dark side... Heh?!

I was browsing through the channels when an image strucked me... I saw 2 male dolphins taking turns to mate with a female. So brutal! Seriously, if those dolphins were humans, I would've swore I witnessed a raping. I soon realized that it was the National Geographic channel running a program called "The Dark Side of Dolphins". What I learned in this program is shocking!!

Dolphins are agressive. They are capable of doing a gang fight, the males harras females!! Although dolphins are individualistic, they sometimes form an alliance. This alliance can consist of 2 until up to 14 dolphins.

One particular alliance that they talk about consists of 2 male dolphins and had been observed for a period of time. Recently, they swim around side by side with a female in between them. This female turns out to be captivated by the two males!! The captivation can go on for a month and it is meant to ensure that the female will mate with these males.

Now if a female has a calf, it will focus on guarding and feeding the calf. Like humans, dolphins are not born with the capability of defending itself. A calf stays with its mother for 5 to 6 years. Sadly, male dolphins often harras this female and even kill the calf. This is so that the female will lose its calf and be an available candidate for producing offspring.

While watching the program, I found myself thinking, "Wow, they are so like humans..." Oh well, intelligence comes with a price!

PS: No matter what, dolphins are still cute and adorable, aren't they? ^^

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