Yes, dolphins do have ears.
Dolphins, whales, and porpoises are all part of the cetacean family and have an excellent sense of hearing which helps them detect nearby food, monitor the location of their pod, listen for danger, and communicate with one another.
For many species of dolphin, their pod is an essential part of their life and ability to survive.
Depending on the species, dolphins can have anywhere from 2 – 1000’s members traveling together.
Each dolphin communicates at a slightly different frequency, allowing them to observe who is talking in the group.
This is especially important in large groups where multiple pods merge, and one dolphin must keep track of other members in their pod.
Dolphins can communicate various wants and needs to other dolphins, such as a desire to mate, that they have found food or that a predator is nearby.
Their excellent sense of hearing keeps these marine mammals safe from threats such as those killer whales or sharks.
Compared to the speed of sound on land, sound travels four times faster in the water, giving marine mammals such as dolphins a significant advantage over other aquatic species that do not rely so heavily on sound.
Echolocation and its Importance on Dolphin Survival
In addition to listening to sound through their ears, dolphins also use echolocation to locate objects around them.
To echo-locate, dolphins emit high-pitched sounds that bounce off nearby objects and return to the dolphin.
Depending on the angle, frequency, and speed of the returning echo, the dolphin can tell how far an object is, whether it is above or below them, how large or small it is, whether it is dense or hollow, and what direction it’s traveling in.
This is extremely important for dolphins with poor vision or travel in entirely dark areas and absent light, as it helps these marine mammals maintain awareness of potential predators and threats, navigate the ocean and find prey.
The Effects of Artificial Sound on Echolocation
Over decades, humans created ambient noises like sonar, water-based explosives, large boat engines, and loud aircraft.
As a result, these noises are becoming more and more commonplace in and around the ocean, causing marine biologists and other oceanic life supporters to become concerned about the possible effects this could have on the dolphin and whale species.
Some scientists believe these sounds could make it difficult for dolphins and whales to rely on their echolocation to pinpoint potential prey and navigate the ocean, especially when light isn’t available.
The more manufactured ambient noises there are, the more difficult it will become for dolphins to distinguish real threats and food over false ones causing marine mammals to have difficulty distinguishing one noise from the other.
Stranded beached whales appear to be on the rise.
While proof that artificial sounds are causing this problem is insufficient, it is worth noting and looking at to see if sonar and other types of technology could affect dolphins or whales whales’ to navigate the ocean and find food safely.