Dear Jillian, Well, I suppose that depends on how you define intelligence. In the first case, whales and dolphins can be considered intelligent because they have existed for 18 million years - they must know how to survive in their environment. But, in the second case, whales and dolphins lack many of the human qualitites mentioned above and are therefore no different from other animals.
People tend to associate large brain size with higher intelligence.
Yet, the brain of the cetacean is not that large in proportion to its body size. The number of brain cells and the connections between them is actually more important than brain size in determining intelligence. In cetaceans, the cerebral cortex is highly developed, as this is the place where sensory information about their environment is processed. We must all remember that whales and dolphins live in an environment completely foreign to humans. Their mental processes are completely different than ours.