Porpoises and dolphins are technically two different species, though they have a common land-based ancestor.  Seafaring fishermen tend to use the word “porpoise” to describe porpoises as well as any small dolphin.  This is a “Color King Natural Color” card, published by the W. M. Cline Company of Chattanooga.

Have you seen the “Dolphin Bubbles” phenomenon?  I first saw it online a couple of months ago and can’t get enough of it:

Nobody seems to be sure exactly how they learned to do it but, apparently, they’ve been teaching each other how to do it for quite some time. I also understand that it’s primarily the females who engage in this behavior, because the males are apparently too busy telling each other fish stories, bragging to each other about the one that got away. (OK, no, not really, but the males seem more concerned with social interaction than with self-amusement.)

My family and I have swam with the dolphins on a couple of occasions and, while one is immediately impressed with how intelligent they are, I am under the impression that nobody has seen this behavior in the wild before. I guess great minds require cool toys.

You can see some very cool still photos of the dolphins at play (and hopefully more videos to be posted soon) over at the Dolphin Bubbles website. I can’t wait to show the grandbabies!

Technically, this dolphin is probably having a blast just off Myrtle Beach. Purchased while away on a training boondoggle for work; I was actually closer to Raleigh than to Myrtle Beach. Published by APS.