Dolphins

The sisters were swimming towards their friend to see her calf. The pod was looking after the newborn and whistling enchantedly. The two dolphins were making arrangements on their way about the song they were going to sing for him and maybe that was the reason they were among the last ones to arrive. Nobody held it against them; they sang beautifully and some danced to it.

Some helpers escorted the calf and his mother during their travel and looked after them especially carefully. The presumable father swam behind the procession and was beaming with pride – his two rivals, not so much. It was not that they did not like the calf, it was just that they were, at the same time, envious because they had such a hard time impressing females. On their way, they were plotting how to get just the young mom when she is ready again, but they were not lucky: they had chosen a target that does not like revenge flirting and detects it quickly, too, but even before her, a friend of the happy couple detected their plans and scolded them.

They stayed around their new »celebrities« even when the larger part of the pod was fishing; they need many dolpinhs for that so they can close a circle around a group of fish. Still, they got to eat their fill and brought a meal to the nursing mother, too. After lunch, it is time for fun. Somebody jumped to the surface and danced standing on his tail. They all understood it as a sign to start playing and soon the water was stirred up with jumps, sommersaults and splashing. But the baby was not left alone.

In the following days and months, he also started jumping, taking part in fishing and picking up animals from the bottom. His mother showed him how to protect his nose with a piece of sponge while browsing dangerous places. He chose his distinctive call, which he repeatedly used when meeting others so they knew more easily who he was. He learnt how to sing, sometimes had a quarrel with somebody and settled it quickly.

On one trip to the coast, an elder dolphin swam over a big rock and scratched his skin. Two youngsters supported him, one on each side, and carried him towards the surface. He took a breath there while others swam to him to chase away sharks, who smell blood quickly, and conferred.

Fish looked out of caves in nearby rocks. They were not too surprised as they had seen many injuries and they helped injured shoal members in similar ways; still, it was interesting to observe dolphins while they were so busy they did not even notice other animals.

It all ended well – the wounds healed and the pod kept swimming together. But not all pods are that lucky. Sometimes they lose not just one but more members too early. On another coast, a big group stranded and only one individual survived. He swam through the ocean alone and thought of his deceased friends until he met a new pod. He approached them carefully and told them his story. The dolphins allowed him to swim with them. They got to know each other better over time and he became a member of the pod, with friends, rivals and tasks.

On another trip to a cove, they were surprised by a big splash. A land animal! Some of them cannot swim well. The dolphins loaded the animal onto their backs. It was heavy and was flinging its legs in fear but then it figured out it was safe. Then they were able to put it on a rock.

It was not long before they encountered a problem again. A beluga whale stopped them. Beluga whales do not whistle like dolphins but they release air bubbles that convey messages and the dolphins were able to decipher those. So the beluga whale led them to a despondent blue whale calf. The little one seemed to be calling his mommy, the beluga whale had already tried, now the pod joined – no answer! Finally the little calf cuddled up to one of the unknown female dolphins and she caressed him with her fin. Nobody disapproved when he swam just behind her and soon they started treating him as if he had been born among them.