Why are sharks so afraid of dolphins? The answer is not as simple as you think!
July 16, 2023
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actually this divalent species, It is not common in the wild. When they coincide, unpleasant situations can arise between them. Sharks, as you know, are one of the
actually this divalent species, It is not common in the wild. When they coincide, unpleasant situations can arise between them.
Sharks, as you know, are one of the most ferocious predators of the oceans. Just like the great white, bull, tiger and dusky big sharks tries to attack the dolphins.
These species could easily devour a dolphin if left one on one, but an intelligent shark wouldn’t know that. Because that dolphin he hunted, It may have been the last meal he ate.
Almost all dolphins live in social groups. There are usually at least a dozen dolphins in the herd.
When dolphins live in an area where there is a lot of food, separate herds often come together to hunt and hunt more than 1,000 they form a “super herd” that can contain individuals.
Sharks, on the other hand, are always solitary individuals. When a dolphin is alone, it’s fairly easy for a shark to sneak up on it (usually from below) and launch a deadly attack, but if there’s more than one dolphin, attack unnoticed almost impossible.
Dolphins are not creatures that say, “Long live the snake that does not touch me.” If a dolphin is attacked in a herd, say “One for all, all for one” They help the attacked dolphin. Like the ox-headed antelopes in African documentaries, they do not leave the weakest with the logic of “run”.
Dolphins also have early warning systems.
Just as the system that detects you when you enter your apartment immediately turns on the lights, dolphins also respond to the shark that enters their area. they can easily recognize it.
dolphins sonar system, collides with objects in the water and bounces back, and dolphins can easily detect even distant objects. This feature allows the dolphin to calculate the location, shape, and size of an approaching object, allowing it to evade attacks. provides an essential warning.
this system They can also be used together, This is called the echolocation system. If a predator manages to get close enough to pose a direct threat to the herd; echolocation system, dolphin shark To track 360 degrees It becomes an assault weapon that they use.
Echolocation is not just all round defense for dolphins. “opinion” not only can they provide security, but they can also use it to attack themselves. Woe to the shark!
The sonar system people use already is inspired by dolphins is invented. And since all the dolphins in the herd have this system, entering that area is not for every brave man.
Suppose a shark is brave or stupid enough to attack a pack of dolphins.
In this case, the dolphins use all of their aforementioned abilities. with their superior intelligence By combining them, they reverse the situation to both defend and attack effectively.
dolphins partnership They have an impressive ability to conduct business and work as a team. These marine mammals use their echolocation not only to track the shark’s movements, but also to coordinate their efforts with each other. they can “speak”.
The maneuverability of dolphins is also better than that of sharks.
One of the best ways to tell a shark from a dolphin is, looking at their tails. The shark’s tail is vertical and moves side to side, while the dolphin’s tail is horizontal and moves up and down.
The soft skin and flexible skeleton of dolphins give them a strong tail offers; This makes them more agile and allows them to change direction faster. This gives the dolphins a significant advantage in defeating a shark.
Dolphins are faster than almost all sharks.
Maximum speed of a dolphin 60 kilometers per hour as much as. The fastest shark species that can hunt dolphins can swim up to 40 km per hour. In fact, the fastest shark can travel 70 km, but this mako shark is not interested in dolphins.
The sharp teeth of sharks are a great advantage for them, but the nose of dolphins should not be underestimated.
Photo is representative.
These noses can open even the largest doors. “ramming” We can compare. These highly effective weapons are made of strong bone. When they strike the shark’s stomach or gill at tremendous speed, they can cause deadly internal bleeding.
It is worth remembering that the killer whale is also a type of dolphin.
Common dolphins only attack sharks for defensive purposes, but killer whales (killer whales) They see sharks as food. They like sharks’ livers and will chase them for a long time, trying to catch them.
Dolphins can protect not only team members but also humans from sharks.
In 2004, for example, a flock of dolphins in New Zealand was threatened by a great white shark. swam around a group of four swimmers and people accompanied them until they went to a safe place.
One of the swimmers said the following afterwards:Dolphins started to join us. circling around us in tight circles They brought the four of us together. The shark was only six feet away from me. The dolphins surrounded us to protect us.”
Experts say the dolphins “sensed the danger to swimmers and to protect them they may have taken action,” he noted.
The shark threatening swimmers is clear afraid of dolphins and he didn’t make the mistake of attacking.
Sources:
Klimley, A. Peter and David G. Ainley. “The white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) and its prey, the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), off Guadalupe Island, Mexico.” Canadian Journal of Zoology 70.12 (1992): 2067-2080.
Cliff, G., Dudley, SFJ, and Davis, B. (1991). Sharks caught in the protective nets off Natal, South Africa. 2. The great white shark Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus). South African Journal of Marine Science, 11(1), 465-480.
Smale, M. J., Cliff, G., & Ambrose, T. (1995). Sharks caught in the protective gillnets off Natal, South Africa. 8. The blacktip shark Carcharhinus limbatus (Valenciennes). South African Journal of Marine Science, 15(1), 51-62.
Ashley Johnson is a science writer for “Div Bracket”. With a background in the natural sciences and a passion for exploring the mysteries of the universe, she provides in-depth coverage of the latest scientific developments.