Knowledge of Dolphins Helps Spur Interest on Sanibel

The Sanibel Sea School (one of our favorite organizations on the Island!), recently held a "Dolphin Week" for visiting families.

As it's name implies, the School focuses on educational aspects in its offerings, and the Dolphin Week was no different. In this case, the Dolphin Week was a collaborative affair with several island organizations and businesses contributing various items and services. And, of course, the Dolphins made a major contribution as well.

The week began at Buttonwood Beach, where the students (and teachers) were divided into pods to compete in the Dolphin Olympics. Campers raced through an obstacle course, played tug of war, and tried to untangle human knots. They improved their teamwork skills and learned that dolphins form alliances and cooperate in complicated ways to hunt and catch fish.

They also learned that Dolphins use echolocation to understand the world around them. Dolphins are able to send sound waves through the water and visualize their surroundings based on the resounding echoes. Echolocation allows dolphins to see in a more complex way than humans – in addition to determining the shape, size, and texture of objects, they are able to sense internal structures. A Dolphin can use echolocation to tell if a woman swimming in the ocean is pregnant.

To gain a better understanding of this ability, the Sea Schoolers played echo games to practice their own sonar skills, and realized that echolocation is not always as simple as it seems.

But perhaps the most exciting moment of the week came when the Schoolers went looking for Dophin. And, not surprisingly, found an active pod doing some flips and stunts in the water.

Now, there are many ways to see Dolphin on Sanibel with several cruises and boat rides boasting of the sightings that they will show you.

But how much more fun it must have been to know a little more about these amazing creatures before ever seeing them!