Weckler 1 Daniel Weckler Alancraig English 2H 15 May 2011 Dolphins, Humans, and Whistling Language 2820 Words Abstract My proposal aims to find a way to establish a means of communicating on an equal level with another intelligent species – dolphins. Scientific studies have shown that dolphins have an intelligence that is very similar to that of humans (Marino 970). Like humans, they are easily capable of innovation, imitation, and social interaction (Marino 968; Rohan). They mainly communicate vocalizations in the form of whistling, yet also make extensive use of nonverbal communication ("How do dolphins communicate?"). While scientists are unsure if dolphins have their own language similar to those spoken by humans, they have been shown to learn and understand artificial languages such as sign language ("Herman's Dolphin Prodigies"). It is on this premise that we base our experiment. We will attempt to teach dolphins a language called the “Silbo Gomero” – a language which essentially “compresses” the Spanish language into whistle form “to express all that can be said” (“Whistled Language”). We plan to use the Silbo Gomero as a sort of “middle ground” between human forms of communication and dolphin forms of communication. Unfortunately, the process is long term and will require extra funding to complete. Our research in establishing an interspecies communication between humans and dolphins could possibly become one of the most significant human achievements of the century.

Weckler 2 We appreciate your consideration of a future where dolphins and humans can communicate as equals. Statement of the Problem Humankind has always asked the question, “is there any other intelligent life out there?” We point our telescopes towards the sky, trying to catch the faintest hint of an intelligence in the universe other than our own. We have programs like SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence) which listen to signals coming from space, hoping to communicate with (or find evidence of) another intelligent species (SETI Institute). Ironically, nonhuman intelligent life may already exist on our own planet. We just cannot really communicate with them – yet. In fact, several intelligent species may exist on our planet, but the one that looks the most promising for equivalent, intelligent interspecies communication is the dolphin. The sheer number of similarities between dolphins and humans is baffling, to say the least. Like us, they are masters of innovation, imitation, and social interaction (Marino 968; Rohan). “No nonhuman animal has shown the levels of diversity, flexibility, and cognitive control of imitative skill demonstrated in bottlenose dolphins” (Marino 970). They are even able to recognize themselves in a mirror – that is, they are self aware (Marino 968). Humans and dolphins have always had some sort of connection. After all, we have a lot in common. Since ancient times, there have been many stories of dolphins reaching out to humans and saving them from certain death by the jaws of a shark (The Cove). Wild dolphins often seek out contact with humans by swimming near the beaches or riding the waves with surfers (The Cove). Our connection with this species is, however, hampered by the fact that we are unable to efficiently communicate with them.

Weckler 3 One might wonder, “Why is it so important to understand and communicate with dolphins?” The most obvious result of learning to communicate on an equal level and hold a conversation with dolphins is that it will serve as undeniable proof that they are an intelligent species that deserves the same types of rights that we enjoy. Thus it will make the most convincing case to mitigate or eliminate the brutal slaughter of thousands of dolphins per year, since the killing of a species that has been proven to be at or around our level of intelligence may ultimately be classified as murder (The Cove). There is also scientific curiosity that would be addressed by such a breakthrough. Simply communicating with another species would be groundbreaking in and of itself. What would we learn? What would they say to us? The ability to actually “talk” to another species would undoubtedly be one of humankind's greatest accomplishments. Review of the Literature Nonverbal communication – communicating without using words – is perhaps the most basic way of conveying information. Most people know very little about just how much information their bodies are broadcasting beyond simple smiles and hi-fives (Pease). Some examples of human nonverbal communication are: crossed arms, which can be “an attempt to put a barrier between the person and someone or something they don't like”; holding your hands behind your back, which can display superiority and confidence; and the direction in which your feet are pointing, which can display what you are interested in or where you might want to go (Pease 93, 136, 214). These are only a few examples of the thousands of nonverbal communication we see every day. It is likely that we are not used to noticing this because human languages seem to be much better at expressing what needs to be said.

Weckler 4 Like other animals, dolphins also communicate using nonverbal signals. Slapping their tails against the water can often be interpreted as a “sign of aggression” or simply as a means of getting another dolphin's attention ("How do dolphins communicate?"). Jaw claps are almost always interpreted as a “sign of aggression,” unless, of course, the dolphins are playing ("How do dolphins communicate?"). Like humans, dolphins have skin that is sensitive to touch ("How do dolphins communicate?"). They often use touching and rubbing behaviors with their fins and bodies much like humans give hugs and handshakes ("How do dolphins communicate?"). Dolphins also have been shown to rest their fins on the body of another dolphin to convey affection to their friend, similar to humans putting their arm around someone (How do dolphins communicate?). Interestingly, dolphin body language goes a step beyond human body language by obeying the “law of brevity” of human verbal language. The law of brevity states that “the most frequently used words are the shortest ones” (such as “and” or “but”)(“Human Language And Dolphin Movement”). When dolphins are on the surface, they have been shown to exhibit more short and “simple” movements. “The simple and efficient behaviour strategies of dolphins are similar to those used by humans with words, and are the same as those used, for example, when we reduce the size of a photographic or video image in order to save space" (“Human Language And Dolphin Movement”). The fact that dolphin body language follows rules similar to human written language, shows that it is actually a fairly “efficient” way of communicating from a physical perspective (conserving their energy). It also hints at the possibility of the existence of a natural dolphin language. Nonverbal communication is obviously an excellent tool for conveying basic information as well as emotional states in both humans and dolphins. However, it would not be reliable to use

Weckler 5 nonverbal communication as a basis for establishing meaningful, two-way communications between our two species for several reasons. First off, while the “core” of body language is the same for all humans, there is a fairly significant of difference in the interpretation of certain body language signals across cultures (Pease 107-124). For example, “[the thumbs up sign] can mean 'good,' 'one,' 'up yours' or 'sit on this' depending on where you live” (Pease 120). Dolphins have been shown to have culture (like us)(Marino 970). From this, it is reasonable to assume that there may be cultural differences between the body language of different groups of dolphins. Another snag that we would hit if we were to use a nonverbal basis for communication is that the differences between dolphin and human body language are far too great. Even if we were to somehow thoroughly decipher dolphin body language, it would likely be extremely tedious and difficult for both species to keep track of and interpret the body language of the other. Perhaps the most significant detraction from using body language as a basis for communication is the fact that body language is simply unable to express abstract concepts in the way that only the human language has ever been proven to do. This brings up the question: “Do dolphins have a vocal language, similar to human language?” Scientists currently believe that the answer to that questions is no (“Do dolphins have a language?”). It has been shown that dolphins communicate more vocally than with their body (“Do dolphins have a language?”). Their vocalizations consist mainly of chirps and whistles, which scientists call “frequency modulated sounds” (i.e. the pitch of the sound changes with time)(“How do dolphins communicate?”). Scientists say that there has been little conclusive evidence that dolphins' vocalizations are actually part of a language (“Do dolphins have a language?”). Regardless, it is possible that dolphins do, indeed, use complex language capable of referring to abstract concepts as the human languages (“Do dolphins have a language?”). Some

Weckler 6 important evidence that dolphins may have a language stems from the fact that they give themselves names (Owen). A study headed by Vincent Janik (of the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland) set out to confirm the previously hypothetical idea that dolphins have “signature whistles” which function as names (Owen). To do this, Janik's team recorded the whistles, isolated them, and then electronically synthesized them (Owen). They did the last step so that the dolphins would be unable to recognize the voice instead of the structure of the whistle (Owen). They then played the whistles to the dolphins through underwater loudspeakers and subsequently found that “the listening dolphins responded strongly to recordings of the names of their relatives and close group members but largely ignored those of other dolphins” (Owen). This result essentially confirms the notion that dolphins have signature whistles. The fact that dolphins have names – an integral part of modern human language – shows that they may have their own language after all. While it is still up in the air about whether or not dolphins have a “language” as defined by humans, they have been taught and are capable of understanding human sign language. They can understand around 90 different signed commands and are even able to grasp different meanings based on the order of the commands (The Cove). For example, “the gestural sequence Surfboard Person Fetch means, 'take the person to the surfboard,' whereas the sequence Person Surfboard Fetch means the opposite, – 'take the surfboard to the person'” ("Herman's Dolphin Prodigies"). Dolphins have shown no trouble in understanding the difference between the two. An experiment shown in an episode of the BBC documentary “Wildlife on One” tests the ability of the dolphins to understand commands given to them in sign language. The dolphin is put in a pool with two objects, a pipe and a basket. On the side of the pool there is a white paddle and a black paddle. The dolphin is then asked questions in which she answers “yes” or “no.” The

Weckler 7 two questions shown were true or false questions such as “is there a pipe in the pool?” The dolphin got the correct answer on each attempt. The scientists doing the experiment then gave the dolphin a “trick” command. They asked the dolphin to “ take the hoop to the basket.” There was no hoop in the pool, so the scientists simply expected the dolphin to just press the “no” paddle. Instead, the dolphin grabbed the basket and pressed the “no” paddle while still holding the basket in her mouth. The scientists were surprised by this unexpected, innovative solution to this problem (“Dolphins: Deep Thinkers”). This experiment demonstrates that dolphins do not blindly follow a trainer's commands like a dog would. It shows that they are capable of, and do understand, these commands in addition to acting on them. Since it has been shown that dolphins are capable of understanding sign language, why is it not a viable method of communication with dolphins? The answer is simply this: humans use their hands to sign, yet dolphins only have flippers and therefore cannot sign back (The Cove). If anything, the fact that dolphins can learn sign language proves that they are capable of learning and understanding a human language. We have not, however, exhausted our possible methods of communicating with dolphins. While vocal communication between our two species appears impossible due to the vast differences between the sounds of human vocalizations and dolphin vocalizations, there isa language which produces sounds vaguely similar those dolphins make. That language is spoken on the Island of La Gomera in the Canary Archipelago and is known as the Silbo Gomero ("Whistled Language"). The Silbo Gomero is a little known language in which communication is done through whistling ("Whistled Language"). It is used mainly to communicate across great distances, namely the ravines present on the island ("Whistled Language"). The Silbo Gomero essentially “reproduces the Spanish language in all its aspects” ("Whistled Language"). It is

Weckler 8 comprised of two vowels and four consonants “to express all that can be said” ("Whistled Language"). This language is not a code but rather a well defined language with its own distinct rules ("Whistled Language"). It can even be adapted to other languages apart from Spanish ("Whistled Language"). It can bee seen to parallel dolphin “speech” in both the whistling as well as its ability to be used to communicate across great distances. I believe that by exposing dolphins to a form of communication with which they are somewhat familiar, they could very well learn the language and make interspecies communication possible. Methodology Before I divulge the details of my experiment, I would like to state that it is unlikely that the idea of using a whistled language to communicate with dolphins is my own unique idea. However, the methods I will be using will be unique and, to my knowledge, nobody has ever performed the type of study I am proposing. The study comes in two parts. The first part will be dedicated to trying to get dolphins to teach humans their own language, if such a language exists. I will have parents volunteer themselves and their young children to be in regular contact with the dolphins. The child will also have to be exposed daily to the Silbo Gomero so it is used to hearing meaningful concepts being communicated through whistling. You might ask, “why would we need to use young children to communicate with the dolphins?” This is because recent studies have shown that young children are “linguistic geniuses” in comparison to adults when it comes to language acquisition (Kuhl). They essentially “take statistics” on whatever language is “put in front of them” (Kuhl). Our hope is that these children will be able to “take statistics” on the dolphin language (assuming one exists) which could give them, and eventually us, a rudimentary

Weckler 9 understanding on the dolphin language. They could then use their skill at whistling to “speak” the dolphin language. We hope that this part of the experiment will get the dolphins to “teach” humans their own language. The second (and main part) of the experiment will involve humans teaching dolphins the Silbo Gomero. Unlike the first part of the experiment, this part will be done with two groups, one consisting of only adult dolphins, and another consisting of adults and children mixed. Our hypothesis is that, like human babies, the baby dolphins will be much more receptive to acquiring a new language and will therefore be more likely to successfully learn the Silbo Gomero. The teaching methods we will use will be similar to those used to teach dolphins sign language. This is a very ambitious, long term, and expensive endeavor for which we will require outside funds to complete. Significance/Conclusion Whether or not this experiment is successful, it will provide us with valuable data and observations on the way that dolphins communicate. Should the experiment be a total success, we will have successfully produced bilingual, Spanish speaking dolphins.The response to this would be overwhelming. Since a conversation with a dolphin would be undeniable proof of intelligence, various moral and ethical debates surrounding dolphins could immediately be solved. Right now we can only imagine what a conversation with a dolphin would be like. I imagine it would be similar to a first conversation with an alien race, one that had been watching us, waiting for the time when we would be ready to communicate with them. Regardless of what the dolphins may say or what the conversation will be like, being able to talk to another intelligent species is of immense historical significance. By choosing to fund our research, you could be contributing to what could possibly be one of the greatest discoveries humankind has ever made. It will not exactly be a “first contact” but it will come very close.

Works Cited The Cove. Dir. Louie Psihoyos. By Mark Monroe. Perf. Richard O'Barry, Brook Aitken and Joe Chisholm. Lions Gate, 2009. DVD. "Do Dolphins Have a Language?" The Dolphin Pod. Podcast retrieved from .

Dolphins: Deep Thinkers. Perf. David Attenborough. Youtube.com. Web. . "Herman's Dolphin Prodigies" The Dolphin Pod. Podcast retrieved from .

"How do dolphins communicate?" The Dolphin Pod. Podcast retrieved from .

"Human Language And Dolphin Movement Patterns Show Similarities In Brevity." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. Web. . Kuhl, Patricia. "The Linguistic Genius of Babies." TED: Ideas worth Spreading. Ted.com. Feb. 2011. Web. .

Marino, Lori, Richard C. Connor, R. Ewan Fordyce, Louis M. Herman, Patrick R. Hof, Louis Lefebvre, David Lusseau, Brenda McCowan, Esther A. Nimchinsky, Adam A. Pack, Luke Rendell, Joy S. Reidenberg, Diana Reiss, Mark D. Uhen, Estel Van Der Gucht, and Hal Whitehead. "Cetaceans Have Complex Brains for Complex Cognition." PLoS Biology 5.5 (2007): E139. Print. Owen, James. "Dolphins Name Themselves With Whistles, Study Says." Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. 8 May 2006. Web. . Pease, Allan, and Barbara Pease. The Definitive Book of Body Language. New York: Bantam, 2006. Print. Rohan, Anuschka de. "Why Dolphins Are Deep Thinkers | Science | The Guardian." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. 3 July 2003. Web. . SETI Institute. Web. . Whistled Language of the Island of La Gomera (Canary Islands), the Silbo Gomero. Youtube.com. Unesco, 25 Sept. 2009. Web. .