Dark Side of Dolphins: These Marine Animals May Not be as Friendly as You Think

Dolphins have a great reputation. They are incredibly clever, but they also have a strong need to contact people regularly. However, dolphins have a constant grin, and an outwardly pleasant personality does not imply they are safe. In fact, they can be referred to as dangerous.

Indeed, these enigmatic animals have been blamed for several brutal and lethal attacks. Do you want to learn more? Continue reading to learn about how dolphins are far more deadly than you ever imagined.

A Particularly Dangerous Bite

Dolphins have razor-sharp teeth that they utilize to rip their prey apart. For example, bottlenose dolphins have 80 to 100 teeth to grasp, hold, and secure their prey.

On the other hand, humans may (and do!) get bitten by animals. Officials from the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service have even issued fliers warning that "dozens of bites have been recorded" and "people have been hauled underneath" by the animals due to the potential threat. An 8-year-old kid was notably attacked by one of the creatures at SeaWorld in 2012.

During an attack, dolphins do more than bite their prey. When a dolphin attacked Valerie Ryan, the animal violently plowed its nose into the victim. The woman suffered six spine fractures, three fractured ribs, a damaged lung, and post-traumatic stress disorder due to the incident.

Turning Into a Deadly Predator

When dolphins are hungry, they transform into cunning predators capable of devising novel ways to catch their food. Dolphins in the shallow seas of Florida, for example, have been spotted kicking up the muck in a circular pattern to trap fish within. In contrast, dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia, have been recorded using sponges as tools to dig out food from the bottom.

Furthermore, dolphins can share their methods with other dolphins, implying that they always refine their abilities. "Dolphins acquire diverse tactics for catching food from one another in the form of cultural transmission," according to the Smithsonian.

Furthermore, dolphins can share their methods with other dolphins, implying that they always refine their abilities. Hundreds of dolphins seeking food simultaneously are one of the scariest sights we ever want to see. According to the Smithsonian, bottlenose dolphins occasionally hunt in groups of over 1,000 people, although they usually adhere to pods of 10 to 15 people, according to National Geographic.

Octopuses have several lethal defense systems at their disposal, so dolphins must be cautious when eating them. That's why dolphins "beat up" octopuses by tossing them about fiercely and mercilessly to break them up into tiny pieces before eating them.

The animal realm is nasty, but it's a lot darker than you may think. Dolphins don't just murder other animals to live. They can have enigmatic, deadly motives.

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