LESSON 2 - SeaTrek Programs

Activity 3.1 Emotions in Motion
Handout 3.1.3 Answer Key
Instructor Copy
Reflections
1. Which is easier to understand: verbal or non-verbal communication? Why?
Expect each student to explain their reasoning.
2. In what other ways are humans better adapted to communicate than dolphins? Would human
forms of communication work underwater?
Suggestions might include that humans have a formal language and the use of
technology to assist in communication but underwater new strategies would need
to be developed.
3. In what ways are dolphins better adapted to communicate than humans? Would dolphin
communication work on land?
On suggestion might be that dolphins have an amazing means of receiving and
interpreting sounds that humans cannot analyze without sophisticated
equipmnet. These methods rely on water to carry sound. In air, they might not be
as effective.
4. What can we learn from dolphin communication? Explain your response.
Scientists know that dolphins have sophisticated levels and kinds of communication–
about most of which we know very little. Synchronized swimming is just
one example; scientists don’t really know how dolphins communicate so that they
dive, jump, and swim at exactly the same pace. Other things we might learn about,
such as echolocation might have implications for industrial or military purposes.
5. Do you think that dolphins have their own formal language? Justify your belief.
Researchers have not yet determined the extent of dolphins’ language capabilities,
but it is an area of study.
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