Friendly Dolphins

We see pictures of dolphins interacting with humans and we wonder, are they really that friendly? Yes and no. Some are more outgoing than others, and some would probably prefer to be left alone. It would be somewhere the truth to say that the more they are fed, cared for and played with by humans, the friendlier they become.

They are reputed to have wonderful personalities that endear them to people. They exhibit an intelligence unknown to many other animals. And believe it or not, they are a different species entirely from porpoises.

Dolphins are friendly and they learn fast. They are extremely adaptable to their environment and they mimic what they see. When they see a friendly person offering them food and cheering them on, for some antic the playful dolphin is executing, they will do it time and time again for the excitement of it. This is where they get their reputation for being friendly, most likely.

Dolphins are numerous and are found in nearly all oceans. Plenty of them are seen in the Hawaiian waters; no porpoises are seen there. It would seem, that a dolphin adapted to the water off the East Florida coast, would also be the same type found in Pacific oceans, but not so. While numerous as an overall family, they like to keep to their area. Therefore, if they have adapted to showing off for crowds of visitors, this is their habitat and is what they expect.

Another endearing thing is their fondness for being on the surface of the water, and not hiding mostly underwater as whales are most likely to do. They, far from fearing human closeness, seem to thrive on it. Each species, though, may react differently. Yet, enough species of dolphins do seem to thrive on people partying, to give them their friendly reputations.