Editing Cetacea (section)

=== Social relations ===
Most cetaceans are social animals, although a few species live in pairs or are solitary. A group, known as a pod, usually consists of ten to fifty animals, but on occasion, such as mass availability of food or during mating season, groups may encompass more than one thousand individuals. Inter-species socialization can occur.<ref name=mann>{{cite book|editor1=Janet Mann|editor2=Richard C. Connor|editor3=Peter L. Tyack|editor4=Hal Whitehead| display-editors = 3|title=Cetacean Societies: Field Study of Dolphins and Whales|publisher=University of Chicago}}</ref>

Pods have a fixed hierarchy, with the priority positions determined by biting, pushing or ramming. The behavior in the group is aggressive only in situations of stress such as lack of food, but usually it is peaceful. Contact swimming, mutual fondling and nudging are common. The playful behavior of the animals, which is manifested in air jumps, somersaults, surfing, or fin hitting, occurs more often than not in smaller cetaceans, such as dolphins and porpoises.<ref name=mann />