Who lives in the pineapple under the sea? DOLPHINS?!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Dolphins love to be entertained. While in captivity, they often play with pool noodles and balls. But a new study suggests that dolphins may benefit from a more… HUMAN pastime.
Meet Kelley Winship and Holli Eskelinen from Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder Center. They entertained sixteen dolphins with… TELEVISION?
Large TV’s were placed at underwater windows. Dolphins got ten minutes of TV time a day. Sometimes they watched shows featuring marine creatures, like SpongeBob SquarePants. Other times, the shows focused on land animals, like Planet Earth. Scientists monitored behavior to see how individual dolphins responded.
What shows were their favorites? Doesn’t matter – the dolphins enjoyed it all! Especially males, who watched more TV overall.
Just like humans, dolphins need stimulation. TV just might do the trick! It may also be a useful tool for animal behavior studies.
Time for a reboot! Looks like “Flipper” is now must-SEA TV!