Dolphin Intelligence

To learn about dolphin intelligence is fascinating. Some theories behind dolphin assisted therapy include the dolphin's ability to think and process at a high cognitive level.

Have you ever heard of John Lilly? He was a famous researcher on dolphins and intelligence. He has some pretty far out there ideas to many people, but the fact is he did spend a lot of time and research with this species, and therefore his work is worth a look.

Lilly (1978) refers to the dolphin's intelligence as being so high that they could be compared to humans. This intelligence could be a factor in their ability to assist humans. They can discern different aspects of people. For instance in one study it was clear that they could delineate between children and adults and even people that showed disabilities or ill health.

In some stories about dolphins it is said they can recognize an abnormality like an illness or tumor before a person is aware of it. They also give more attention to people who are pregnant, clearly knowing that the pregnant woman is different than someone who is not. Of course there are also many stories throughout time of dolphins knowing when humans are in trouble, and even coming to their aid when lost at sea, or being attacked by sharks and providing protection.

So clearly there is a high level of thought process going on, and there continues to be research done in this area.

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