Apparently, dolphins miss people.
In Queensland, Australia, dolphins have started bringing gifts to humans from the ocean. The reason? Because they miss interacting with humans! How unreal is that?!
Ever since the coronavirus has kept visitors indoors, no one has been to the Barnacles Dolphin Centre and Barnacles Cafe, where people can feed the dolphins at the same time that they dine and have coffee. The humpback dolphins are used to mingling with visitors at the center, which is at Tin Can Bay, located north of the Sunshine Coast.
Recently, however, the pod of dolphins has been reaching out to humanity, bringing a variety of gifts to shore, including pieces of coral, sea sponges, and barnacle-coated bottles. Although they've displayed these kinds of actions before, their affection has never been this apparent.
Barnacles Cafe and Feeding Line posted on Facebook: "The pod has been bringing us regular gifts, showing us how much they’re missing the public interaction and attention. They are definitely missing you all.”
According to Barry McGovern, a UQ Ph.D. student who is quite knowledgeable about dolphin behavior, the dolphins bringing gifts because they miss human interaction is a possibility.
“Nothing surprises me with dolphins and their behavior anymore,” McGovern said. “They do everything—they use tools, they have culture, they have something similar to names in signature whistles."
However, he mainly believes they're acting in this manner for other reasons: “In all likelihood, they probably don’t miss humans per se. They probably miss a free meal and the routine."
Regardless of the logic behind their actions, the fact these sea creatures are noticing the temporary difference that coronavirus has made on society—and signifying they want things to return to normal—is truly astonishing.
Why do you think the dolphins are bringing gifts? Tell us in the comments!