It's stuck there - they can't change it. It's not a reflection of their emotions at the time. The look made Flipper a star and has fueled countless tour boats. In recent decades, men, women, and children have fallen head over heels in love with dolphins - or with mythical dolphins. But as Wells and other specialists learn more about the reality of dolphin behavior as opposed to cherished myths, another old truth is becoming clearer.
Love is blind.
Wells is a conservation biologist with the Chicago Zoological Society, and through the Mote Marine Laboratory has has been working with dolphins in Sarasota Bay for 30 years. He said aggression is one thing that often gets glossed over in dolphin lore. They've also been seen to interact aggressively with many other species. We don't know yet whether it is territorial behavior, but they may gang up on harbor porpoises. Though such behavior may be startling to some, it's in keeping with a key detail about dolphins.