Article Summary:

The Marine Mammal Science journal has posted an abstract of a paper that shows a group of dolphins trying to collaborate in order to support a dying member of their pod. The Korean researchers witnessed the event in the East Sea off the coast of Ulsan, in South Korea. During a survey, they saw 10 long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis) trying to save the life of another adult by forming a raft to keep the stricken dolphin afloat. One of the rescuers actually turned over to better support the ailing dolphin, while another used its beak to try to keep the dying dolphin’s head up. These behaviors have been seen in individual animals in the past, but never as a collaborative exercise.