Those skills are passed down from parent to offspring. For example, in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the Atkinses caught on film a group of dolphins flinging themselves up on the beach. The reason for the rush up on the mudflats is to create a bow wave that drives schools of small fish ashore. It is a showcase for how these air-breathing mammals use their intelligence to devise or change strategies to suit their environments and to survive the dangerous world of the oceans. Teamwork and constant communication between team members is critical.
Spinner dolphins leap in what appears to be a magnificent display of exuberance.
What is actually happening is probably a signal to others to join them or to coordinate movements of the pod. And through constant touching. Like humans and some chimpanzees, dolphins use sex for reasons other than procreation. Sex is as frequent as it is casual, a social tool used to strengthen and maintain bonds. But beneath the harmony lies a darker side of dolphins.