Talk:Implosion

What does it mean? Why? How? And...Who?

New evidence has been compiled by marine scientists proving the normally placid dolphin is capable of inexplicably brutal attacks, both on innocent fellow marine mammals and, more disturbingly, on its own kind.

Film taken of "dolphin gangs" repeatedly ramming baby porpoises, tossing them in the air and pursuing them to the death has solved the long-standing mystery of what causes the extermination of so many of these harmless mammals - but has left animal experts baffled as to the motive.

Another mystery is that the animal 'murders' have only been reported in two parts of the world - along Scotland's East Coast and in the U.S. off the beaches of Virginia, where - even more alarmingly - the victims were scores of the dolphins' own young.

The first clues to solving the riddle came in 1997 when, by sheer coincidence, marine biologists in Virginia were finding young, dead dolphins with horrific internal injuries at the same time as young porpoises were washing up on Scotland's northeast coast with identical causes of death. The body count was growing in both locations.

The two groups of biologists pooled information and, at first, it was believed the mammals had died through sonic 'blast trauma'. In American cases, this was presumably from exercises by the U.S. Navy, and in Scotland, from powerful air guns used by oil rig technicians to detect undersea caverns. This theory, however, was dismissed after further examination of the bodies revealed that the frightful injuries - broken ribs, imploded lungs, crushed livers and massive internal bleeding - could only have come from prolonged, focused attacks.

When tell-tale teeth marks were identified, the Bottlenose dolphin - classified as one of the world's most intelligent, sensitive and sociable creatures - became the official suspect. Confirmation of the murders came by way of two shocking films shot by vacationers. The first was initially believed to show a dolphin fishing for salmon, until closer examination revealed a relentless attack on a juvenile porpoise, its body spinning round with such force that its back was broken and its soft tissue shattered.

Marine experts now believe that these vicious attacks on non-rival, non-predatory, peaceful porpoises - and, more shockingly, of dolphin infanticide - may have always taken place. It is only now, with dolphins' more human-friendly behavior (bringing them ever-closer to tourist boats and beaches) that the violence is being witnessed first hand. Until the shocking realization, dolphin-watchers had believed they were merely watching the mammals "at play" with their young.

Four years ago, members of Scotland's Cetacean Research and Rescue Unit discovered a lifeless porpoise near the harbor at Whitehills, near Banff. The team described the mammal's injuries as "perhaps the worst example of inter-specific aggression any of us had ever seen... this young female had literally had the life beaten out of her." Closer inspection of the corpse revealed multiple lacerations and puncture wounds all over the body which could not have been caused by any other attacker than a Bottlenose.

Two of these fatal attacks by dolphins are featured in the documentary The Dolphin Murders, being shown in the British TV series Nature Shock on Tuesday, January 29th.

Watching the films, marine biologist Dr. Ben Wilson explains yet another shocking phenomenon - that the dolphins use their incredible echolocation abilties to "home in" on the vital organs of their victims that will cause most damage.

"The blows are carefully targeted," says Wilson, a member of the Scottish Association for Marine Science. "And the attacks are sustained, sometimes up to 30 minutes... the film was a key piece of evidence. It crystalized our suspicions. We realized the dolphins' victim was trying to escape from being attacked with such force that any one single blow could kill it. It was, Oh my God!, the animals I've been studying for the last 10 years are killing these porpoises."

Theories abound on the reason behind the murders, including territorial clashes and feuds over food resources, but food is not in short supply, and the victims are not just chased away but pursued to the death. Another belief is that dolphin attacks on their young may be due to mating instincts, because when her calf dies, the female dolphin is ready for mating again. But the experts are still not certain that it's only males who do the attacking.

Incredibly, the attacks by the dolphins on Scotland's harbor porpoises may be some kind of bizarre "target practice," for the one common link between the attacks in Scotland and the U.S. is that the victims are of a similar size and weight. Researchers speculate that perhaps the dolphins' instincts have them practicing the same skills on young porpoises as are needed to successfully attack and kill their own kind.

Perhaps more definitive answers will be found as Dr. Wilson and his team continue their Bottlenose Dolphin Project throughout the Scottish waters this winter. But as the experts of the CRRU are forced to declare: "These killings represent yet another example of the hard brutality and evolutionary pressures of the marine world —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.84.170.74 (talk) 07:30, 13 May 2009 (UTC)

Stick to the subject

The above "dolphin article" is unrelated to the subject of implosion and does not belong here. It should be deleted.Magneticlifeform (talk) 23:00, 25 August 2012 (UTC)