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How Dolphins Communicate

Dolphins are extremely and almost constantly vocal. They are capable of two kinds of sounds. A specialized mechanism in the nasal passages just below the blow-hole enables them to emit short, pulse-type sounds. These sounds, called clicks, can be produced in such rapid succession as to sound like a buzz or even a duck like quack. The clicks are used as a form of sonar, in which echoes of sounds from surrounding objects enable the animals to detect obstacles, other dolphins, fish, and even tiny bits of matter in the water. The military uses dolphins and this ability to help them find water minds. This ability is termed ECHOLOCATION. Some Scientists have speculated that dolphins also use the sounds to deliver an acoustic shock for stunning of killing small prey.

Echolocation
The term echolocation refers to an ability that odontocetes (and some other marine mammals and most bats) possess that enables them essentially to "see" with their ears by listening for echoes. Odontocetes echolocate by producing clicking sounds and then receiving and interpreting the resulting echo. Sound waves travel through water faster than through air. These sound waves bounce off objects in the water and return to the dolphin in the form of an echo. High frequency sounds don't travel far in water. Because of their longer wavelength and greater energy, low frequency sounds travel farther.

Echolocation is most effective at close to intermediate range, about 16 to 656 feet. Dolphins produce a sound in the air passages in their heads, an oil-filled organ or melon in the forehead enables dolphins to focus and beam clicks through the water in front of them. Upon striking an object, the sounds will reflect, or "echo" back. By interpreting these echoes, dolphins can distinguish the direction, distance, speed, size,shape, and even the density of an object. The closer the dolphin is to a target, the more information he can acquire.
(MacGillivary Freeman's Dolphins)

 

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