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(This article was originally written in 2009)

These bottlenose dolphins show complex play behavior  as well as a certain artistry in their manipulation of bubble rings, and a seemingly baffling ability to defy physics and drive the air down in the water. (Please see part two for an explanation of how they do this.)

Watch the intense curiosity and creative play that occurs when researchers introduced bubble rings to a group of dolphins who had not seen them before:


Seaworld’s video doesn’t clarify the origins of the fascinating bubble ring behavior but it appears to have originated from the dolphins themselves and is not a taught trick.

However captive display facilities have been able to teach other dolphins, whales, and porpoises to perform tricks with bubble rings. In the video below, finless porpoises in the Marine World Uminonakamichi Aquarium in Fukuoka, Japan have been taught to take in air then pass bubble rings to each other.

This remarkable behavior is another indication of the intelligence of these sentient animals, and an indication that their lives are richly complex.

Candace Calloway Whiting