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Dolphin thinking

Dolphins sleep with half a brain, while the other half stays awake. To avoid collision I would swim in a safe circle, with my waking brain half on the outside, as that’s where potential danger is most likely to come from. So when I swich brain half I have to swim the other way around. True or false?

Last Post: Jan. 1, 2012 | Thread started: Jan. 1, 2010

  1. Dolphins sleep with one half of the brain. To avoid collision it would figure they swim in a safe circle. Danger is most likely to come from the outside of the circle, so it would figure the waking brain half to be on the outside. But when the dolphin switches brain halves does it then also swim the other way around?

    Jan Ploeg Jan. 1, 2010

  2. avatar
    Hi Jan. How often do dolphins switch between brain halves?

    SamtotheSkillz Jan. 20, 2010

  3. Hi Sam, According to information I found on the Scientific American site roughly between one and two hours. This figure, though, is probably based on observations of dolphins that live in pods. I can imagine, as the need for security is more prominent for solitary dolphins, their switching frequency would be higher. I have often seen Dusty, a solitary dolphin at the Irish West coast (Clare), swim in circles on different locations. She swam always the same way around per location, but in a different direction on different locations. As dolphins need about eight hours of sleep per 24, this may mean she swims the other way around at night.

    Jan Ploeg Jan. 23, 2010

  4. Now this is a way awesome question! I do wonder if their brains are connected to opposite ends like humans??

    loxyred July 8, 2010