When you think of boy bands, you don’t usually think of a group of dolphins.
However, marine scientists in Shark Bay, about 800 kilometers north of Perth, say local dolphins are turning to singing and dancing to attract a mate.
“You’ll hear this, ‘Click, click, click,’ and the rhythm and tempo will be matched by these tightly-bonded males in this bromance world,” says Shark Bay Dolphin Research Alliance (SBDRA) Co-Director Simon Allen .
The males swim in formation behind a female called an Emu, who feeds on a sea sponge. (Provided by: Dr Simon Allen)
He said male dolphins in groups of four to 14 were performing synchronized movements and displays while singing in unison to attract females.
Dr. Allen has given the dances names like “The Butterfly Display” and “The Tango.”
Dr Simon Allen says male dolphins form tight-knit groups. (ABC Pilbara: Kate Ferguson)
“If you think about New Zealand [national rugby team] All Blacks haka, you see those physical movements and the vocal movements, and they’re all in sync,” he said.
“It’s been shown very clearly in humans and some other primates, that when you perform these synchronous movements and sing in unison, it decreases the perceived threat of opponents.”
A trio of males called “The Latin Kings” swim with a female. (Provided by: Dr Simon Allen)
Founded in 1982 by marine scientists Richard Connor and Rachel Smoker, SBDRA has a research station at Monkey Mia where international researchers spend more than half the year investigating dolphin behaviour.
Recently, they have turned to drones to make new discoveries and monitor the health of Shark Bay’s dolphin population, which is believed to be one of the most researched in the world.
Monkey Mia at Shark Bay is known for its hand-fed wild dolphins. (ABC Pilbara: Kate Ferguson)
International scientists on site
Marine scientists from Georgetown University in Washington, USA, have been researching Shark Bay dolphins since 1982 and are one of two international teams currently there.
PhD student Meredith MacQueeney is from Georgetown University in Washington, USA. (ABC Pilbara: Kate Ferguson)
Meredith MacQueeney, a PhD student at Georgetown University, described dolphins as “really smart mammals.”
“They have a social system quite different from ours,” he said.
“And studying these animals allows us to think about questions like, you know, what is the nature of intelligence? How did this evolve?”
Dolphins in Shark Bay use sponges to protect their noses while searching for food. (Provided: Shark Bay Dolphin Project)
A unique behavior is the use of cone-shaped sponges to help forage, a tactic only seen in Shark Bay.
Female dolphins are believed to teach this skill to their offspring at an early age.
“These dolphins really specialize in this tactic,” Ms MacQueeney said.
“While other dolphins will use a number of different strategies to catch fish and forage, these dolphins spend 96 percent of their time foraging on just that specific strategy, so they are truly specialists.
“They’re the smarty pants out here.”