Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication

by Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Toni Frohoff, Marc Bekoff (Foreword by)

Exciting new technologies and research methods help scientists unravel the mysteries of dolphin communication, intelligence, and culture

Dolphins have fascinated humans for millennia, giving rise to an abundance of stories and myths about them, yet the actual details of their lives in the sea have remained elusive. In this enthralling book, Kathleen M. Dudzinski and Toni Frohoff take us into the dolphins’ aquatic world to witness firsthand how they live their lives, communicate, and interact with one another and with other species, including people. Kathleen M. Dudzinski and Toni Frohoff are scientists who have collectively dedicated more than 40 years to studying dolphins beneath the ocean’s surface, frequently through a close-up underwater lens. Drawing on their own experiences and on up-to-the-minute research, the authors show that dolphins are decidedly not just members of a group but distinct individuals, able to communicate with one another and with humans. Dudzinski and Frohoff introduce a new way of looking at, and listening to, the vocabulary of dolphins in the sea, and they even provide an introductory “dolphin dictionary,” listing complex social signals that dolphins use to share information among themselves and with people. Unveiling an intimate and scientifically accurate portrait of dolphins, this book will appeal to everyone who has wanted a closer glimpse into the hearts and minds of these amazing creatures.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Biology

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2008

Reviews

[Benjamin L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather than being a deep dive into cetacean research I found it to be more a series of personal anecdotes with some general facts thrown in for measure. I would have liked to see more depth in dolphin ecology, ethology, and physiology and less anecdotal accounts of what the authors saw a dolphin do that one time. The level of detail is as I would expect from a high school report, with the writing quality to match.

[Hideo Imamura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just checked about 40 minutes of the audio book sample and it sounded really boring. I would skip this book or check it at library if possible.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was good, although not excellent. I did learn some new stuff. I found it a bit dry at times though.

[Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really quite an interesting and enjoyable read. I have always been a fan of Dolphins and marine life and this book shed a good deal more knowledge on the subject. The authors' main focus is on communication between people and dolphins and between dolphin and dolphins. I learned quite a bit more than I knew, so it was a worthwhile book to read.

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not Cry of the Kalahari for dolphins. Instead it is a dry, sanitized, and overly-general textbook/literature review on cetacean research. Unfortunately habit of writing scientific journal articles and/or the fear of exposing anything beyond near-comatose objectivity to their peers kept the incredible stories that must have accompanied a career studying dolphin unshared.