Sometimes this is accomplished by a pod circling the school while individuals take turns swimming through the middle of the school to catch fish. What appears to be affectionate behavior is common among dolphins. In addition to sexual behavior, dolphins spend time nuzzling and stroking one another with their beaks or their flippers. This occurs between mothers and young, males and females, and members of the same sex. Adult males will frequently form groups as will adult females.
Adolescents also spend time away from the adults.
Female adolescents eventually return to the adult female groups, particularly when calving. When a female is giving birth, another dolphin is at her side performing a task similar to midwifery. There is some indication that this is accomplished by the adolescent females, and this may be where they begin to learn mothering skills necessary to ensure the survival of the young. Many stories abound concerning the idea that dolphins try to save drowning humans. Such attempts have been poorly documented, but there are some interesting facts that make this behavior possible.