Dolphins: The Truth About Our Friends From the Sea

This is ridiculous. Your argument is based on emotional appeal and you aren't thinking logically.

"I also agree with Pookielocks, that it might be inappropriate to have dolphins 'heal' survivors of rape when the species itself commits rape."

This is an absolutely ludicrous notion. The human species are certainly (and obviously) capable of rape and other such heinous crimes, yet they often offer comfort and healing to us in times of need, and we often go to them seeking this aid. It's the same concept.

You can't blame an ENTIRE SPECIES based on what a percentage of them do (for reasons we know NOTHING of). You have no way of knowing if your therapist has committed acts of sexual aggression on another and likewise, you have no way of knowing whether or not the dolphins you're swimming with have done so, either. You cannot generalize in this situation. If we go along with your line of thought, then the entire human race should be damned and labeled "pure evil" as you put it.

Don't be foolish and generalize an entire species. That's completely ignorant. Even if their behavior is suspicious, we still have no way of knowing what all is going on in their biological, communicative, and mental processes.

Mashadutoit, I agree on every point of yours.

Mashadutoit, I understand your point that dolphins are not humans, so it might be inaccurate to apply human values to animals.

However, I also agree with Pookielocks, that it might be inappropriate to have dolphins 'heal' survivors of rape when the species itself commits rape.

To me, the situation boils down to a public relations nightmare.  Once people, most particularly rape survivors who interact with these bottlenose dolphins for 'healing' due to the trauma they have just experienced, are made aware that these very same dolphins perpetuate rape in their own species, would the rape survivors care to distinguish that human morality doesn't apply to the bottlenose dolphins?  Or would a sense of outrage simply emerge out of them from the very understandable perception that the animal which was supposed to hellp them ironically is guilty of practicing rape, or if not rape, then at least a very brutal sexual practice.

Say what you will about humans' limited understanding of animal sexuality:  it is very rare, from my layreading thus far, to observe a gang of male species ravage ONE female partner at the same time.  Aside from the bottlenose dolphin, I have not read about it anywhere else.  Based on this observation, I am inclined to think that gangrape in animals is not normative behavior.  I do find it curious, however, to think that an animal with increased intelligence practices such a behavior.

To wrap up, though I believe that you have a point that human morality should not be superimposed on animal sexuality of the bottlenose dolphin, I do argue that people will make no such distinction and will in fact readily apply human morality to bottlenose dolphin behavior.  Thus, the issue becomes a public relations nightmare for the people who are in charge of this foundation.

Pookielocks, I enjoyed reading your article quite a lot.  I had been looking at animal sexuailty for the better part of this morning out of idle curiousity.  I thought bottlenose dolphins were man's best friend, next to a dog-- their animal sexuality behavior gave me a rude awakening!

Dolphins are also one of the only other mammals to have sex for pleasure and not soully for mating.  I can't help but think there is a connection there. 

Sarah Day

live large, laugh often, wear purple underwear

house of day ( http://www.houseofday.ca )

( http://www.houseofday.ca )

i see what you're saying.

i just hate thinking that they as many as 14 males will keep 1 female captive for 2-3 months and take turns having sex with her. ( http://www.msmodern.com/ )

I did understand that.  But what I was trying to say is that the term "rape" is only meaningfully applicable to humans.  There is no way we can know how dolphins see sex, or how they understand consent.  At best we can see what the power relations between them appear to be.

Another example- its very common for male mammals such as lions and bears to kills young of their species so the females will become sexually receptive again.  To us that seems wrong and twisted.  If a human did that it would be the worst kind of murder.  But that feeling is just a symptom of how far removed we have become from nature - we try to apply our human value systems on creatures who are wholly different from us. 

It would be a pity if the positive experience of rape survivors who interact with dolphins were discounted because of a mistake in thinking.

To put it another way - rape is not sex, its an expression of power and domination.  Dolphins are mating - they are having sex for reproduction.  Calling it rape is just a human mind game that does not help us get any nearer to the truth of what is happening, and might prevent us from seeing another kind of truth - the benefit that people feel from interacting with dolphins.

true. i don't hate dolphins, but it is interesting to note that we're both mammals and we both have societies in which rape and murder go on.

My main point was should a species that gang rapes be used as a healing tool for rape survivors?

www.shebecameabutterfly.net ( http://www.shebecameabutterfly.net/ ) and www.msmodern.com ( http://www.msmodern.com/ ) and www.taking-back-control.com ( http://www.taking-back-control.com )

To me, both views of dolphins are equally unbalanced.

Dolphins are not human beings, and should not be judged as though they were - so:

Fact - people feel better (often profoundly so) when interacting with them.  We dont entirely know why this is.

Fact - dolphins (like many other mammals) kill other animals, sometimes of their own species. 

But to speak of rape, murder and prostitution is absurd because it pre-supposes human judgements which just do not make sense when we are speaking about another species. It makes assumptions about assent, choice and judgement which we cannot make because we just dont know enough about these creatures.

Just as it is absurd to think of dolphins as saintly - as we would if a human being made us feel that good simply by swimming and interacting with them.

But that does not mean that the positive interaction is all bunkum, anthropomorphism and the fanciful imaginings of deluded people.  It just means that we need to be a little careful of treating animals as thought they are either saints, or criminals.  They are neither.  They are wonderful creatures, just as aligators are wonderful, and sharks are wonderful - and in fact, people are wonderful.  Complex, and wonderful, and not toys, or friends, or enemies, but their own creatures.

I am now freaked out. 

Politics & News Contributing Editor Queen of Spain ( http://queenofspainblog.com/ )

Wow.

I don't think I have any more comments at the moment. Just wow. Umm. Wow.

~Denise BlogHer Community Manager
Flamingo House Happenings ( http://www.flamingohouse.net/ )