Dolphins often captivate observers with their aerial displays, launching themselves completely out of the water in a behavior known as breaching or porpoising. While appearing playful, these leaps serve multiple important functions for dolphins in their marine environment.
Social Interaction and Play
Dolphins, being highly social mammals, frequently use leaping as a form of communication within their pods. The loud splash created when a dolphin re-enters the water generates both visual and auditory signals that can travel considerable distances underwater. These signals can announce a dolphin’s presence, help coordinate group activities, or warn other pod members of dangers. For instance, spinner dolphins are known to use their acrobatic leaps to communicate their location, aiding in group cohesion. Leaping is also a significant aspect of dolphin play behavior. Dolphins engage in recreational leaps for social bonding and the healthy development of young individuals. During aggressive encounters, dolphins may even leap out of the water to body slam or ram other individuals. Some dolphin species also use the noise from their splashdowns to assist in hunting, herding fish towards the surface for easier capture.
Efficient Travel and Environmental Scan
Leaping repeatedly, a behavior called porpoising, offers a biomechanical advantage for efficient travel. Moving through the air creates less drag than moving through water, which is denser. This allows dolphins to conserve energy over long distances, especially when traveling at high speeds or escaping predators. Leaping also provides dolphins with a momentary elevated view of their surroundings, known as an environmental scan. This brief aerial perspective helps them spot potential prey, navigate their environment, or identify distant threats or other dolphin pods. While underwater visibility can be limited, the elevated vantage point from a leap offers an opportunity to assess the broader oceanic landscape. Dolphins have been observed tracking fish that jump out of the water during a chase.
Body Maintenance
Another reason dolphins leap from the water relates to their physical hygiene and health. The forceful impact of their bodies re-entering the water can help dislodge external parasites, such as remoras, or shed dead skin cells. Remoras can attach to dolphins using a suction disc on their heads, potentially increasing drag and affecting their swimming efficiency. Regularly dislodging these “hitchhikers” contributes to the dolphin’s well-being and reduces irritations.