Meng
Process Essay 2
How Do Bottlenose Dolphins Hunt Together?
"Unity is strength," as the old saying goes. All of us have been taught the importance of teamwork since we were little. Moreover, it's an essential skill we need to sharpen if we want to live in the world; we all need some help from others from time to time. It's also the case in the world of bottlenose dolphins---they are pack hunters. A pack hunter is an animal that hunts its prey by working together with one another. In general, animals that hunt in this way are closely associated, and all the members in the group contribute to hunting. With the following four steps, bottlenose dolphins could enjoy a great feast.
A research carried out off the coast of Florida has revealed that there's an extraordinary complexity in their hunting habit: group members have specialized work that they stick to for an extended period. (2005) To begin with, the bottlenose dolphins will form groups of three to six, and one dolphin acts as the "driver"; in the meanwhile, the rest of the dolphins, which are called "barrier dolphins," would form a solid barrier to trap the fish. Hence, we could say that the bottlenose dolphins are extremely smart and have a highly-constructed social system that feeds in packs.
Secondly, the dolphins will trick a school of fish by surrounding their prey. This move will not only make the fish feel dizzy but also cause them to be trapped inside the circle the "barrier dolphins" already gathered so firmly that even a tiny fish couldn't slip away. It's arguably to say that this kind of trick technique is truly amazing.
Thirdly, the "driver" will perform a skill, which is called "fluke-slaps," which is a brilliant trick to make the fish hop outside of the surface of the water. At the same time, the "driver" will immediately swim next to the "barrier dolphins" when the prey is about to hop. In addition, I believe that their sensitivity and nice teamwork do can teach us, humans, a lesson or two.
Finally, all of the "barrier dolphins" will open their mouths to catch the fish flying in the air. Furthermore, each dolphin will take turns feeding on their feast. Their eating habit is still so organized even the hunting process is almost coming to an end, no wonder they could enjoy abundant amount of fruit in the end.
In brief, the four strategies are how the bottlenose dolphins hunt for food. These include forming a well-designed group, trapping a school of fish, lashing the water to make the fish hop outside of the water, and finally feasting on them in turns. Hence, we could confidently state that the bottlenose dolphins' hunting process proves that: only a great team that all the members within are willing to give a hand to each other and try their best to finish their jobs would they succeed.
Sources
https://www.nature.com/articles/news050110-12
Gazda, S. K., Connor, R. C., Edgar, R. K. & Cox, F. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B published online, doi: 10.1098/rspb.2004.2937 (2005)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pack_hunter#Bottlenose_dolphins
Picture Sources
https://bckbiologylwilliamson.weebly.com/physiological.html
https://photos.com/featured/whale-tail-fluke-slap-m-swiet-productions.html
