Editing Dolphin (section)

==Relationships with humans==

===In history and religion===
[[File:Akrotiri dolphins.jpg|thumb|Fresco of dolphins, c. 1600 BC, from [[Knossos]], [[Crete]]]]
[[File:Silver stater from Tarentum from 290-280 BC.jpg|thumb|Silver stater from [[Taranto|Tarentum]] c. 290 BC showing Phalanthos riding a dolphin on one side and a rider with a shield decorated with a dolphin on the other side]]
[[File:Vessel in form of killer whale - Nazca pottery in the American Museum of Natural History - DSC06105.JPG|thumb|Vessel in form of [[orca]], [[Nazca culture]], circa 200 AD. [[American Museum of Natural History]] collections.]]
Dolphins have long played a role in human culture.

In [[Greek mythology|Greek myths]], dolphins were seen invariably as helpers of humankind. Dolphins also seem to have been important to the [[Minoans]], judging by artistic evidence from the ruined palace at [[Knossos]]. During the 2009 excavations of a major [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean]] city at [[Iklaina]], a striking fragment of a wall painting came to light, depicting a ship with three human figures and dolphins. Dolphins are common in [[Greek mythology]], and many coins from [[ancient Greece]] have been found which feature a man, a boy or a deity riding on the back of a dolphin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dougsmith.ancients.info/feac50tar.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208015112/http://dougsmith.ancients.info/feac50tar.html |archive-date=February 8, 2007 |title=Taras |access-date=October 3, 2010}}</ref> The [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greeks]] welcomed dolphins; spotting dolphins riding in a ship's wake was considered a good omen.<ref name="Eyers2012">{{cite book|last=Eyers|first=Jonathan|title=Don't Shoot the Albatross!: Nautical Myths and Superstitions|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=b0fM9aimdooC}}|date=December 3, 2012|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-4081-3213-5}}</ref> In both ancient and later art, [[Cupid]] is often shown [[Cupid#Cupid and dolphins|riding a dolphin]]. [[Delphinus|A dolphin]] rescued the poet [[Arion]] from drowning and carried him safe to land, at [[Cape Matapan]], a promontory forming the southernmost point of the [[Peloponnesus]]. There was a temple to [[Poseidon]] and a statue of Arion riding the dolphin.<ref>[[Herodotus]] I.23; [[Thucydides]] I.128, 133; [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] iii.25, 4</ref>

The Greeks reimagined the [[Phoenicia]]n god [[Melqart]] as Melikertês ([[Melicertes]]) and made him the son of [[Athamas]] and [[Ino (Greek mythology)|Ino]]. He drowned but was transfigured as the marine deity Palaemon, while his mother became [[Leucothea]]. (''cf'' [[Ino (Greek mythology)|Ino]].) At Corinth, he was so closely connected with the cult of Poseidon that the [[Isthmian Games]], originally instituted in Poseidon's honor, came to be looked upon as the funeral games of [[Melicertes]]. [[Phalanthus of Tarentum|Phalanthus]] was another legendary character brought safely to shore (in Italy) on the back of a dolphin, according to [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]].

[[Dionysus]] was once captured by [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan]] [[pirate]]s who mistook him for a wealthy prince they could ransom. After the ship set sail Dionysus invoked his divine powers, causing vines to overgrow the ship where the mast and sails had been. He turned the oars into serpents, so terrifying the sailors that they jumped overboard, but Dionysus took pity on them and [[shapeshifting|transformed]] them into dolphins so that they would spend their lives providing help for those in need. Dolphins were also the messengers of Poseidon and sometimes did errands for him as well. Dolphins were sacred to both [[Aphrodite]] and [[Apollo]].

"Dolfin" was the name of an aristocratic family in the maritime [[Republic of Venice]], whose most prominent member was the 13th-century [[Doge of Venice|Doge]] [[Giovanni Dolfin]].

In [[Hindu mythology]] the [[Ganges river dolphin]] is associated with [[Ganga in Hinduism|Ganga]], the deity of the [[Ganges]] river. The dolphin is said to be among the creatures which heralded the goddess' descent from the heavens and her mount, the [[Makara (Hindu mythology)|Makara]], is sometimes depicted as a dolphin.<ref name="Singh1997">{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Vijay |title=The River Goddess|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=VKEKAAAACAAJ}}|year=1997|publisher=Creative Education|isbn=978-0-88682-825-7}}</ref>

The [[Boto]], a species of [[river dolphin]] that resides in the [[Amazon River]], are believed to be shapeshifters, or ''[[Encantado (mythology)|encantado]]s'', who are capable of having children with human women.

There are comparatively few surviving myths of dolphins in [[Polynesia]]n cultures, in spite of their maritime traditions and reverence of other marine animals such as [[sharks]] and [[seabirds]]; unlike these, they are more often perceived as food than as totemic symbols. Dolphins are most clearly represented in [[Rapa Nui]] [[Rongorongo]], and in the traditions of the [[Caroline Islands]] they are depicted similarly to the Boto, being sexually active shapeshifters.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cressey |first1=Jason |title=Making a Splash in the Pacific: Dolphin and Whale Myths and Legends of Oceania |url=http://islandheritage.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RNJ_12_3_Cressey.pdf |website=islandheritage.org |publisher=The POD-People, Oceans, Dolphins (Vancouver, Canada) |access-date=October 19, 2018 |date=September 1998 |archive-date=November 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120050556/http://islandheritage.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RNJ_12_3_Cressey.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Heraldry====
{{main|Dolphin (heraldry)}}
[[File:Dauphin of Viennois Arms.svg|thumb|upright|Coat of arms of the [[Dauphiné]], France, featuring a stylised heraldic dolphin]]
Dolphins are also used as symbols, for instance in heraldry. When heraldry developed in the [[Middle Ages]], little was known about the biology of the dolphin and it was often depicted as a sort of fish. The [[Dolphin (heraldry)|stylised heraldic dolphin]] still conventionally follows this tradition, sometimes showing the dolphin skin covered with [[fish scale]]s.

A well-known historical example was the coat of arms of the former province of the [[Dauphiné]] in southern France, from which were derived the arms and the title of the [[Dauphin of France]], the heir to the former throne of France (the title literally meaning "The Dolphin of France").

Dolphins are present in the [[coat of arms of Anguilla]] and the [[coat of arms of Romania]],<ref name="Hentea2007">{{cite book|last=Hentea|first=Călin|title=Brief Romanian Military History|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=lwcWDFZWuJgC}}|year=2007|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-5820-6}}</ref> and the [[coat of arms of Barbados]] has a dolphin [[supporter]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Barbados: Just Beyond Your Imagination|last=Ali|first=Arif|year=1996|page=16|isbn=978-1-870518-54-3|publisher=Hansib Publications|location=Hertford, UK}}</ref><ref name="Ali1996">{{cite book|last=Ali|first=Arif|title=Barbados: Just Beyond Your Imagination|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=0k8sAQAAMAAJ|page=16}}|year=1996|page=16|publisher=Hansib|isbn=978-1-870518-54-3}}</ref>

The [[Coat of arms of Poole|coat of arms of the town of Poole]], Dorset, England, first recorded in 1563, includes a dolphin, which was historically depicted in stylised heraldic form, but which since 1976 has been depicted naturalistically.<ref>''Description of the coat of arms'', Borough of Poole information sheet, undated</ref>

===In captivity===

====Species====
[[File:Sea World1.jpg|thumb|[[SeaWorld]] show featuring bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales.]]

The renewed popularity of dolphins in the 1960s resulted in the appearance of many [[dolphinarium|dolphinaria]] around the world, making dolphins accessible to the public. Criticism and [[animal welfare]] laws forced many to close, although hundreds still exist around the world. In the United States, the best known are the [[SeaWorld]] [[marine mammal park]]s.
In the Middle East the best known are [[Dolphin Bay]] at [[Atlantis, The Palm]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.atlantisthepalm.com/marine-water-park/dolphin-bay|author=Atlantis: The Palm, Dubai|title=Swim With the Dolphins in Dubai|work=atlantisthepalm.com|access-date=March 11, 2016}}</ref> and the [[Dubai Dolphinarium]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dubaidolphinarium.ae/|author=Dubai Dolphinarium|title=The Dubai Dolphinarium|work= dubaidolphinarium.ae|access-date=March 11, 2016}}</ref>

[[File:Short-finned Pilot Whale (8793172995).jpg|thumb|[[SeaWorld San Diego]] pilot whale with trainers.]]
Various species of dolphins are kept in captivity. These small cetaceans are more often than not kept in theme parks, such as [[SeaWorld]], commonly known as a [[dolphinarium]]. [[Bottlenose dolphin]]s are the most common species of dolphin kept in dolphinariums as they are relatively easy to train, have a long lifespan in captivity and have a friendly appearance. Hundreds if not thousands of bottlenose dolphins live in captivity across the world, though exact numbers are hard to determine. Other species kept in captivity are [[Atlantic spotted dolphin|spotted dolphins]], [[false killer whale]]s and [[common dolphin]]s, [[Commerson's dolphin]]s, as well as [[rough-toothed dolphin]]s, but all in much lower numbers than the bottlenose dolphin. There are also fewer than ten [[pilot whale]]s, [[Amazon river dolphin]]s, [[Risso's dolphin]]s, [[spinner dolphin]]s, or [[tucuxi]] in captivity.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/marine_mammals/case_against_marine_captivity.pdf|first1=Naoimi|last1=Rose|first2=E.C.M.|last2=Parsons|first3=Richard|last3=Farinato|title=The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity|edition=4|publisher=Humane Society of the United States|pages=13, 42, 43, 59|access-date=January 7, 2016|archive-date=September 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930105929/http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/marine_mammals/case_against_marine_captivity.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> An unusual and very rare [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] dolphin, known as a [[wolphin]], is kept at the Sea Life Park in Hawaii, which is a cross between a bottlenose dolphin and a [[false killer whale]].<ref>{{cite newsgroup|author=[[Sean B. Carroll]] |title=Remarkable creatures |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/science/14creatures.html?src=me&ref=general |access-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref>

The number of [[orca]]s kept in captivity is very small, especially when compared to the number of bottlenose dolphins, with 60 [[List of captive orcas|captive orcas]] being held in aquaria {{As of|2017|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orcahome.de/orcastat.htm| title=Orcas in Captivity – A look at killer whales in aquariums and parks |date=November 23, 2009|access-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref> The orca's [[animal intelligence|intelligence]], trainability, striking appearance, playfulness in captivity and sheer size have made it a popular exhibit at aquaria and aquatic theme parks. From 1976 to 1997, 55 whales were taken from the wild in Iceland, 19 from Japan, and three from Argentina. These figures exclude animals that died during capture. Live captures fell dramatically in the 1990s, and by 1999, about 40% of the 48 animals on display in the world were captive-born.<ref name="Dolphins" />

Organizations such as the [[Mote Marine Laboratory]] rescue and [[Wildlife rehabilitation|rehabilitate]] sick, wounded, stranded or orphaned dolphins while others, such as the [[Whale and Dolphin Conservation]] and [[Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society]], work on dolphin conservation and welfare. [[India]] has declared the dolphin as its national aquatic animal in an attempt to protect the [[endangered species|endangered]] [[Ganges river dolphin]]. The [[Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary]] has been created in the [[Ganges]] river for the protection of the animals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archive.india.gov.in/knowindia/national_symbols.php?id=8|title=National Aquatic Animal|author=india.gov|work=india.gov}}</ref>

====Controversy====
{{See also|Captive orca}}
[[File:2009-Seaworld-Shamu.jpg|thumb|[[Shamu]] in 2009, with a collapsed dorsal fin.]]

There is debate over the welfare of cetaceans in captivity, and often welfare can vary greatly dependent on the levels of care being provided at a particular facility. In the United States, facilities are regularly inspected by federal agencies to ensure that a high standard of welfare is maintained.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}} Additionally, facilities can apply to become accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which (for accreditation) requires "the highest standards of animal care and welfare in the world" to be achieved. Facilities such as SeaWorld and the Georgia Aquarium are accredited by the AZA. Organizations such as [[World Animal Protection]] and the [[Whale and Dolphin Conservation]] campaign against the practice of keeping them in captivity. In captivity, they often develop pathologies, such as the [[dorsal fin]] collapse seen in 60–90% of male orca. Captives have vastly reduced life expectancies, on average only living into their 20s, although there are examples of orcas living longer, including several over 30 years old, and two captive orcas, Corky II and Lolita, are in their mid-40s. In the wild, females who survive infancy live 46 years on average, and up to 70–80 years in rare cases. Wild males who survive infancy live 31 years on average, and up to 50–60 years.{{Unreliable sources|date=March 2024}}<ref>{{cite web|author=Rose, N. A.|year=2011|url=http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/orca_white_paper.pdf|title=Killer Controversy: Why Orcas Should No Longer Be Kept in Captivity|publisher=Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States|access-date=December 21, 2014}}</ref> Captivity usually bears little resemblance to wild habitat, and captive whales' social groups are foreign to those found in the wild. Critics claim captive life is stressful due to these factors and the requirement to perform circus tricks that are not part of wild orca behavior. Wild orcas may travel up to {{convert|160|km|mi|-1}} in a day, and critics say the animals are too big and intelligent to be suitable for captivity.<ref name=cbs2010>{{cite news|url= https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whale-attack-renews-captive-animal-debate/|title=Whale Attack Renews Captive Animal Debate|work=CBS News|date=March 1, 2010|access-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref> Captives occasionally act aggressively towards themselves, their tankmates, or humans, which critics say is a result of [[stress (medicine)|stress]].<ref name=armstrong>{{cite book|last1=Armstrong|first1=Susan J.|last2=Botzler|first2=Richard G.|title=The Animal Ethics Reader|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=tBuHDQAAQBAJ}}|date=November 18, 2016|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-317-42196-2}}</ref>

Although dolphins generally interact well with humans, some attacks have occurred, most of them resulting in small injuries.<ref name="fishingnj.org">{{cite web|author=William Broad |url=http://www.fishingnj.org/artdolphagress.htm |title=An article on the aggressive nature of dolphins |publisher=Fishingnj.org |date=July 6, 1999 |access-date=July 25, 2011}}</ref> [[Orca]]s, the largest species of dolphin, have been involved in fatal [[Orca attacks on humans|attacks on humans]] in captivity. The record-holder of documented orca fatal attacks is a male named [[Tilikum (orca)|Tilikum]],<ref>{{cite book|chapter=The Killer in the Pool|first=Tim|last=Zimmerman|title=The Best American Sampler 2011|page=336|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|year=2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/07/us/corpse-is-found-on-whale.html|title=Corpse Is Found on Whale|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 7, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/24/killer.whale.trainer.death/index.html|title=SeaWorld trainer killed by killer whale|publisher=CNN|date=February 25, 2010|access-date=March 11, 2010}}</ref> who lived at [[SeaWorld]] from 1992 until his death in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/01/tilikum-seaworld-orca-killer-whale-dies/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802092644/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/01/tilikum-seaworld-orca-killer-whale-dies/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 2, 2019|first= Brian|last=Howard|date=January 6, 2017|title=Why Tilikum, SeaWorld's Killer Orca, Was Infamous|website=National Geographic|access-date=September 20, 2019}}</ref> Tilikum has played a role in the death of three people in three different incidents (1991, 1999 and 2010).<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/feb/25/killer-whale-tilikum-drowned-trainer-hair | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Ed | last=Pilkington | title=Killer whale Tilikum to be spared after drowning trainer by ponytail | date=February 25, 2010}}</ref> Tilikum's behaviour sparked the production of the documentary ''[[Blackfish (film)|Blackfish]]'', which focuses on the consequences of keeping orcas in captivity. There are documented incidents in the wild, too, but none of them fatal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/081905/sta_20050819039.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411215249/http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/081905/sta_20050819039.shtml|archive-date=April 11, 2010|title=Killer whale bumps but doesn't bite boy |publisher=Juneau Empire – Alaska's Capital City Online Newspaper |date=August 19, 2005 |access-date=July 25, 2011}}</ref>

Fatal attacks from other species are less common, but there is a registered occurrence off the coast of [[Brazil]] in 1994, when a man died after being attacked by a [[bottlenose dolphin]] named [[Tião (dolphin)|Tião]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Wong |first=David |url=http://www.cracked.com/article_15853_the-6-cutest-animals-that-can-still-destroy-you.html |title=The 6 Cutest Animals That Can Still Destroy You |date=February 7, 2008 |publisher=Cracked.com |access-date=July 25, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.science-frontiers.com/sf101/sf101b07.htm |title=Male Dolphin Kills Man |publisher=Science-frontiers.com |date= Sep–Oct 1995|access-date=July 25, 2011}}</ref> [[Tião (dolphin)|Tião]] had suffered harassment by human visitors, including attempts to stick ice cream sticks down his [[blowhole (anatomy)|blowhole]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/south/series1/lone-dolphins.shtml |title=LONE DOLPHINS – FRIEND OR FOE? |publisher=BBC |date=September 9, 2002 |access-date=February 5, 2012}}</ref> Non-fatal incidents occur more frequently, both in the wild and in captivity.

While dolphin attacks occur far less frequently than attacks by other sea animals, such as [[shark attack|sharks]], some scientists are worried about the careless programs of human-dolphin interaction. Dr. Andrew J. Read, a biologist at the Duke University Marine Laboratory who studies dolphin attacks, points out that dolphins are large and wild predators, so people should be more careful when they interact with them.<ref name="fishingnj.org"/>

Several scientists who have researched dolphin behaviour have proposed that dolphins' unusually high intelligence in comparison to other animals means that dolphins should be seen as [[non-human person]]s who should have their own specific rights and that it is [[morality|morally]] unacceptable to keep them captive for entertainment purposes or to kill them either intentionally for consumption or unintentionally as by-catch.<ref name="White2009">{{cite book|last=White|first=Thomas I.|title=In Defense of Dolphins: The New Moral Frontier|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=tGunrZU6AyEC}}|date=May 18, 2009|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-470-46969-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.dolphinmovie.com/background.pdf |title= Scientists say dolphins should be treated as 'non- human persons' |last1=Leake |first1= Jonathan |last2= Brooks |first2= Helen |date= January 3, 2010 |work=[[The Sunday Times]] |via= dolphinmovie.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160410080701/http://www.dolphinmovie.com/background.pdf | archive-date =April 10, 2016 | access-date =January 4, 2010 }}</ref> Four countries – [[Chile]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Hungary]], and [[India]] – have declared dolphins to be "non-human persons" and have banned the capture and import of live dolphins for entertainment.<ref>Land, Graham (July 29, 2013). ''[http://asiancorrespondent.com/111205/dolphin-rights-the-world-should-follow-indias-lead/ Dolphin rights: The world should follow India's lead]''. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829094716/http://asiancorrespondent.com/111205/dolphin-rights-the-world-should-follow-indias-lead/ |date=August 29, 2013 }}. [[Asian Correspondent|Asiancorrespondent.com]]. Hybrid News Ltd. Retrieved July 29, 2013.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://moef.nic.in/assets/ban%20on%20dolphanariums.pdf |title=Policy on establishment of dolphinarium |access-date=August 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322165915/http://www.moef.nic.in/assets/ban%20on%20dolphanariums.pdf |archive-date=March 22, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/dolphins-gain-unprecedented-protection-in-india/a-16834519|title=Dolphins gain unprecedented protection in India &#124; DW &#124; 24.05.2013|website=DW.COM}}</ref>

====Military====
{{Main|Military dolphin}}
[[File:NMMP dolphin with locator.jpeg|thumb|upright|A military dolphin]]

A number of militaries have employed dolphins for various purposes from finding mines to rescuing lost or trapped humans. The [[military dolphins|military use of dolphins]] drew scrutiny during the Vietnam War, when rumors circulated that the [[United States Navy]] was training dolphins to kill Vietnamese divers.<ref>{{cite web
|title= The Story of Navy dolphins
|author=PBS – Frontline
|website=[[PBS]]
|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/etc/navycron.html
|access-date= June 8, 2008}}</ref> The United States Navy denies that at any point dolphins were trained for combat. Dolphins are still being trained by the United States Navy for other tasks as part of the [[U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program]]. The Russian military is believed to have closed its marine mammal program in the early 1990s. In 2000 the press reported that dolphins trained to kill by the [[Soviet Navy]] had been sold to [[Iran]].<ref>{{cite news
|title= Iran buys kamikaze dolphins
|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/670551.stm
|access-date= June 7, 2008 | date=March 8, 2000}}</ref>

The military is also interested in disguising underwater communications as artificial dolphin clicks.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hsu |first1=Jeremy |title=The Military Wants to Hide Covert Messages in Marine Mammal Sounds |url=https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/the-military-wants-to-hide-covert-messages-in-marine-mammal-sounds/ |access-date=14 December 2020 |work=[[Hakai Magazine]] |date=10 December 2020}}</ref>

====Therapy====
Dolphins are an increasingly popular choice of [[animal-assisted therapy]] for psychological problems and developmental disabilities. For example, a 2005 study found dolphins an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression.<ref>{{cite journal
|title=Randomised controlled trial of animal facilitated therapy with dolphins in the treatment of depression
|year=2005
|jstor=25455488|pmc=1289317|pmid=16308382
|last1=Antonioli
|first1=C
|last2=Reveley
|first2=MA
|volume=331
|issue=7527
|pages=1231–1234
|doi=10.1136/bmj.331.7527.1231
|journal=BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)}}</ref> This study was criticized on several grounds, including a lack of knowledge on whether dolphins are more effective than common pets.<ref>{{Cite journal
|journal= BMJ
|volume=331
|issue= 7529
|page=1407
|year=2005
|author1=Biju Basil |author2=Maju Mathews |title= Methodological concerns about animal-facilitated therapy with dolphins
|doi= 10.1136/bmj.331.7529.1407
|pmid= 16339258
|pmc= 1309662}}</ref> [[Review]]s of this and other published dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT) studies have found important methodological flaws and have concluded that there is no compelling scientific evidence that DAT is a legitimate therapy or that it affords more than fleeting mood improvement.<ref>{{Cite journal
 |journal=Anthrozoös 
 |volume=20 
 |issue=3 
 |pages=239–49 
 |year=2007 
 |doi=10.2752/089279307X224782 
 |author1=Lori Marino 
 |author2=Scott O. Lilienfeld 
 |title=Dolphin-Assisted Therapy: more flawed data and more flawed conclusions 
 |url=http://www.marineconnection.org/docs/DAT%20Paper%202007.pdf 
 |access-date=February 20, 2008 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228025018/https://www.marineconnection.org/docs/DAT%20Paper%202007.pdf 
 |archive-date=February 28, 2008 
|citeseerx=10.1.1.554.7777 
 |s2cid=6119940 
 }}</ref>

===Consumption===

====Cuisine====
[[File:Dolphin Sashimi.jpg|thumb|Plate of dolphin [[sashimi]]]]
In some parts of the world, such as [[Taiji, Wakayama|Taiji, Japan]] and the [[Faroe Islands]], dolphins are traditionally considered as food, and are killed in [[harpoon]] or [[dolphin drive hunting|drive hunts]].<ref name="auto"/>
Dolphin meat is consumed in a small number of countries worldwide, which include Japan<ref>{{cite news| last= McCurry | first= Justin | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/sep/14/dolphin-slaughter-hunting-japan-taiji | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Dolphin slaughter turns sea red as Japan hunting season returns | date=September 14, 2009 | access-date=May 24, 2010}}</ref> and [[Peru]] (where it is referred to as ''chancho marino'', or "sea pork").<ref>{{Cite news  | last = Hall  | first = Kevin G.  | title = Dolphin meat widely available in Peruvian stores: Despite protected status, 'sea pork' is popular fare  | newspaper = The Seattle Times  | year = 2003  }}</ref> While Japan may be the best-known and most controversial example, only a very small minority of the population has ever sampled it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kearney |first=Christine |date=2009-07-31 |title=Dolphin slaughter in Japan subject of new film |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/film-dolphins-japan/dolphin-slaughter-in-japan-subject-of-new-film-idUKN3030237020090731/ |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

Dolphin meat is dense and such a dark shade of red as to appear black. Fat is located in a layer of [[blubber]] between the meat and the skin. When dolphin meat is eaten in Japan, it is often cut into thin strips and eaten raw as ''[[sashimi]]'', garnished with onion and either [[horseradish]] or grated garlic, much as with ''sashimi'' of [[whale meat|whale]] or [[horse meat]] (''basashi''). When cooked, dolphin meat is cut into bite-size cubes and then batter-fried or simmered in a ''[[miso]]'' sauce with vegetables. Cooked dolphin meat has a flavor very similar to [[beef liver]].<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:イルカの味噌根菜煮 |language=ja|trans-title= Dolphin in Miso Vegetable Stew |url= http://cookpad.com/recipe/1073593 |work= Cookpad |year=2010 |access-date= May 16, 2011}}</ref>

====Health concerns====

There have been human health concerns associated with the consumption of dolphin meat in Japan after tests showed that dolphin meat contained high levels of [[mercury (element)|mercury]].<ref name=WHO/> There are no known cases of [[mercury poisoning]] as a result of consuming dolphin meat, though the government continues to monitor people in areas where dolphin meat consumption is high. The Japanese government recommends that children and pregnant women avoid eating dolphin meat on a regular basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/2003/06/tp0605-1.html|title=平成１５年６月３日に公表した「水銀を含有する魚介類等の 摂食に関する注意事項」について|work=Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare|language=ja}}</ref>

Similar concerns exist with the consumption of dolphin meat in the [[Faroe Islands]], where [[Prenatal development|prenatal]] exposure to [[methylmercury]] and [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCBs]] primarily from the consumption of pilot whale meat has resulted in [[Neuropsychology|neuropsychological]] deficits amongst children.<ref name=WHO>{{cite web|author= [[World Health Organization]] / [[United Nations Environment Programme]] DTIE Chemicals Branch |year= 2008 |title= Guidance for identifying populations at risk from mercury exposure|page= 36 |url=https://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/chem/mercuryexposure.pdf |access-date= August 29, 2013}}</ref>

{{Quotes|quote=The [[Faroe Islands]] population was exposed to [[methylmercury]] largely from contaminated pilot whale meat, which contained very high levels of about 2 mg methylmercury/kg. However, the Faroe Islands populations also eat significant numbers of fish. The study of about 900 Faroese children showed that prenatal exposure to methylmercury resulted in neuropsychological deficits at 7 years of age|source=[[World Health Organization]]<ref name=WHO/>}}