It is more correct to say: sharks are not afraid, but prefer not to mess with dolphins. Although, with a good combination of circumstances, the toothy robbers will not refuse a dinner of several representatives of the "sea people". So respectfully the ancient Greeks called dolphins.

The nature of the "fear" of sharks

And now about the fear of some animals by others. The fact is that these animals are at different intellectual levels. Shark is a member of the Cartilaginous fish class. They are more ancient and primitive than the bony fish common in our waters. The presence of feelings in these animals is the topic of global scientific research. So far they have found only instincts. Dominant - the need for food. It is followed by the need for survival and reproduction. Sharks, except for the smallest species, carry out their life program alone, converging with their own kind only for a very short time for the sake of the reproduction process.

Dolphins are mammals that live in the water. Therefore, in addition to the basic instincts in their lives, there is a need for society. Dolphins of all kinds live in a flock, within which they communicate, help the weak, sick, women in labor and females with newborn dolphins. Animals hunt together and protect themselves from predators. Considering that no one purposefully hunts dolphins except for sharks (and also people and killer whales for smaller species), it is against the legendary sea robbers that animals organize group protection.

Fight for life

How does communication between two representatives of such different classes take place? Sharks, acting as a kind of orderlies of the sea, immediately isolate an old, sick, wounded by a person or a pregnant individual in a flock of dolphins. It is she who they pursue or wait until the weakened animal lags behind the group. If the flock missed the moment, then the shark will eat the dolphin with great pleasure and move on.

But, given that dolphins have high intelligence and a quick response to changes in the environment, in 75 out of 100 cases they notice the shark in time and organize a collective rebuff to the voracious predator.

To date, there are several successful techniques that dolphins use:

The flock surrounds the predator and begins to massively beat her in the gill slits. It is like a punch to the solar plexus. If the fish does not retreat, then the blows of dolphins can damage its respiratory organs. Deprived of the opportunity to receive oxygen from the water, the shark ceases to be interested in the dolphin in general and the flock in particular. With broken gill slits, she is doomed to death. If before that it is not eaten by stronger and healthier relatives.

Dolphins of large species - beluga whales, killer whales, have learned to bring fish into a state of tonic immobility. Animals beat their snouts into one side of the shark until it rolls over. When it turns out to be belly up, the fish begins a kind of paralysis - convulsive muscle contraction, as a result of which it loses the ability to move for several minutes. Divers use the same technique. Quickly grabbing the tail and flipping the shark on its back, they get the chance to take a selfie by sticking their hand in the fish's mouth.

There is evidence that a group of dolphins simply push the predator out of the water, holding it on their snouts until it suffocates. There is, however, an exception. If a shark, even a white one, gets caught by a flock of killer whales, then after strangulation it will definitely be eaten.

Information transfer mechanism

Why do sharks let dolphins do this to themselves? The reason is simple. For many millions of years, the shark hunted according to one primitive scheme. Wraps circles in a spiral around the selected victim, waiting for the moment for a convenient throw. For their part, dolphins have the ability to communicate. There is information about the language they use. Therefore, the practiced tactics of “beating babies” are passed down from generation to generation, unlike a fish, which has to comprehend the science of life on its own.

Now back to the question of why sharks are afraid of dolphins. Those sharks that survived after meeting with dolphins, or witnessed the massacre of a relative, already at an unconscious level, prefer to stay away from the flock, give way to it or attack a guaranteed lonely animal. Those who have not comprehended science, or meet for the first time with an organized group of dolphins, have little chance of survival.

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Sharks are big but afraid of dolphins

In this article, we will try to analyze in detail the question “Why are sharks afraid of dolphins?”. For an uninitiated person, the question will seem extremely inappropriate, and the answer is simple ... Sharks cannot be afraid of these cute inhabitants of the seas - dolphins. But is it?
The shark is a predator in the world of the inhabitants of the ancient seas, it is one of the perfect weapons for killing. The anatomical feature of the shark was created by nature itself in order to hunt and kill its prey.

For example, the device of the jaw of a white shark shocks with its ideality and sinister idea for murder. In the mouth of an ordinary shark, there are about three hundred teeth, each of which can reach up to 5 centimeters diagonally. The teeth in the shark's mouth are arranged in several rows - the first row is the main one, that is, the working one, and the subsequent ones are reserve spare teeth. Are sharks afraid of dolphins with such a set of killer characteristics? We'll come back to this a little later.

Shark. sense organs

The sensitivity of sharks is amazing with its richness and some unreality of the creation of nature. In humans, we know five systems of perception of the surrounding world, in some species of the shark family there are about thirteen of them. The abilities of this species of inhabitants of the deep sea are sometimes equated with psychic abilities, which occurs in humans in isolated cases.

Shark is a bloodthirsty killer

Although scientists, in the process of studying, found similar data in the same abilities in some other inhabitants of the seas, as well as in some representatives of the amphibian fauna, and even, in a rare case, in some representatives of the terrestrial fauna of mammals.

It would seem that with all these advantages, obviously not deprived of nature, sharks are afraid of the cutest creatures - dolphins. How can sharks be afraid of dolphins? But from various sources we receive information that dolphins have repeatedly saved people from the jaws of the most ancient predators of the deep sea!

The main signs of fear

Why are sharks afraid of dolphins and is it really possible that when they see a flock of killer whales from a distance, predators try not to collide with these representatives of the seas ?? And flocks of bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins successfully resist these murderous predators and force them to bypass their habitats?

The collective existence of dolphins has been known since ancient times. They not only live in large flocks, their collective is completely organized, it is a close-knit society for living in the depths of the sea. In communities like dolphins, the planned organization and activity of the whole group leads to the fact that single predator individuals are initially doomed to failure and complete defeat.

Dolphins move in packs - sharks are afraid

Here is the answer to the question "Why are sharks afraid of dolphins?" The shark is a creature that lives on its own. The best company for a shark is itself. Representatives of this species of marine fauna very rarely gather in flocks, and even more rarely stay in them for a long time.

This most often happens during periods of mating games, and such flocks are very unreliable - after all, each representative tries to sail away as quickly as possible on his own business. Despite the fact that sharks are extremely cautious, their vicious love for a lonely existence is the main reason for an unequal battle and subsequent loss in battles with flocks of dolphins!

Sharks and dolphins - fear

Dolphins are carnivores that feed on fish and crustaceans. Most of the time the dolphin is on the surface of the water and up to three minutes under water. Although the food that dolphins eat is at a depth of up to tens of meters. Going so low, the dolphin must endure without fresh oxygen and sometimes they spend at a depth of up to fifteen minutes.

The ocean is their habitat, and hunting is the meaning of life. Usually hunting takes place according to the same principle as the attack on predators - dolphins surround a flock of fish in a ring and gradually squeezing the ring, pushing the school to the shore. One of the dolphins breaks into a school of fish, while the others remain in their places, and returns to their position, making way for the next one.

Dolphins or sharks?

This continues until every dolphin in the flock is full. The organization of the whole flock greatly helps dolphins feel comfortable not only in their habitat, but also in the fight against predators. Having a clear advantage in war, dolphins never attack the shark first, choosing defense.

The initiator of the first attack is always the shark, it is she who always attacks first. It is a shark with a great desire to be glad to get enough of the meat of a harmless dolphin, which quite by accident strayed from the flock. And this sometimes happens for various reasons.

If dolphins notice even the slightest aggressive action on the part of a predator, they immediately take action, and then the aggressive and bloodthirsty shark has a very hard time. A flock of dolphins in the blink of an eye takes counterattack actions, surrounding the predator with a dense ring from all sides.

Dolphins are funny and smart

The attack of the dolphin group is accompanied by powerful blows of beaks from all sides on the shark body. Dolphins are highly developed and very smart creatures by nature, so they always try to get into the most vulnerable place of the shark's body - the gill slits.

If dolphins attack an aggressive predator with the whole flock, they can easily kill a shark without much damage to themselves. Dolphin maneuvers are nothing compared to shark maneuvers, and their power is much stronger. Dolphins also act according to this principle when they try to save a person from an attack by a predator.

What explains the fear of dolphins sharks

But, as a rule, before killing their enemy, dolphins resort in exceptional cases - they just need to surround the human body with their flock, so that the predator would hasten to retreat from the crime scene. A person remains alive and in complete safety, and dolphins do not cause the slightest harm to their representatives.
In many videos you can watch the miraculous rescue of people by dolphins, and see how sharks are afraid of dolphins.

Shark fear of dolphins

One of these videos tells how the operator, while filming an episode, accidentally saw a shark dangerously close to him, which continued to move towards him. The man did not stop filming and captured the moment when four dolphins surrounded his body in a tight ring, keeping the predator away. Thus, by driving the shark away from the man, they saved his life.

The video operator has no doubt that by starting such military operations against the shark, the dolphins fully understood that they were saving them from certain death. For a very long time, good relations have developed between representatives of the human race and dolphins. The initiative of this friendship belonged to the marine inhabitants, and there was not the slightest reason to doubt their friendliness and good attitude towards us.

Not a single case is known in which it is said that these marine inhabitants attacked a person. Dolphins do not differ in vindictiveness, but on the contrary, their main feature is curiosity and good nature.

Huge flocks of dolphins save people

Well, I think the answer to the question "Why are sharks afraid of dolphins?" we have fully disclosed. The study of dolphins, like sharks, remains a hot topic among scientists around the world, and I think in the future there will be many more surprises and secrets for the scientific world to learn about both representatives of the marine fauna and their relationships.

Video

Dolphins vs sharks - who will win?

Perfect streamlined bodies, maneuverability and - these features characterize both sharks and dolphins. These are strong marine predators, whose paths in the seas sometimes intersect.

But if a fight arises, where dolphins are against sharks, we mentally worry about the first ones. How did dolphins conquer us and are they really so innocent?

The systematic position of dolphins and sharks

Sharks and dolphins are representatives of different classes of the animal world. Sharks are cartilaginous fish, and dolphins are mammals of the order Cetaceans. Therefore, the latter are considered to be more highly organized creatures that have a number of advantages in comparison with sharks.

Appearance of predators

Sharks and dolphins are characterized by a variety of species that differ in body shape and size. If we compare the average-sized adult specimens, then these animals are approximately in the same weight category. Sharks and dolphins have a special camouflage coloration, with lighter belly and darker tops.

The shape of the body is streamlined, adapted for rapid movement in the water column. But the features of the head, tail and fins draw a line between these animals. For example, the lobes of the caudal fin in dolphins are located in a horizontal plane, which is also due to the way these mammals move.

Dolphins make oscillatory body movements up and down, in contrast to.

Dolphins in the water can develop a good speed, which is explained by the shape of the body and the characteristics of the skin of the animal. When interacting with water, the skin of a dolphin prevents the occurrence of turbulent eddies and promotes maximum flow.

Watch the video - The shark killed the dolphin:

Dolphins have developed care for offspring, therefore, if there are babies in the flock, then a shark swimming past is threatened with an attack from dolphins. Dolphins can attack alone, directing a blow with the nose and frontal part into the unprotected gill slits, eyes and belly of the shark.

The force of the blows is very high, so the sharks can, which does not often guarantee victory. Dolphins also work together as a flock to repel shark attacks.

Watch the video - Dolphins attack the shark:

Coordinated actions directed at the enemy always promise success.
The mind of this animal is always attached to the power that the dolphin owns, which makes it possible to be a dangerous opponent for the thunderstorm of all the seas - the shark.

The shark is one of the oldest inhabitants of the seas in the world and an almost perfect weapon for murder. Its anatomical features seem to be created in order to hunt and destroy its prey. What is the sinister and at the same time amazing device of the jaw of a white shark.

The size of the teeth of this predator reaches 5 or more centimeters diagonally, and their number reaches three hundred. Moreover, the teeth are located in the mouth of the white shark in several rows: the front ones are working, and the rest are reserve, so to speak in reserve!

But this is not the main thing. The most amazing thing is how the shark's sense organs are arranged. Some species of sharks are equipped with 13 systems of perception of the world (for comparison, humans have only 5 of them). It can even be said that one of the shark's sense groups is akin to human psychic abilities. We are talking about electroreception - the ability to capture barely perceptible electrical field vibrations. Scientists have found such abilities in other marine life, as well as in vertebrate amphibians and even in some mammals.

But with all these seemingly indisputable advantages, sharks prefer to avoid the company of dolphins. Yes, and it is impossible to deny the fact that dolphins have repeatedly saved people who fell into the open sea from shark attacks.
Indeed, sharks swim away as soon as they see a flock of bottlenose dolphins and common dolphins, and try not to collide with killer whales. What is the secret of such a successful confrontation of some marine predators over others?

Sharks are very careful and circumspect. But for the most part, they are like a Kipling cat that "walks by itself." Sharks gather in flocks extremely rarely, except during the mating season, after which they try to part quickly. In the love of loneliness, according to researchers, lies the main reason for the frequent losses of sharks in fights with dolphins.

Dolphins, as you know, are collective creatures. They do not just gather in flocks, but have very organized and tightly knit teams. And where there is a well-organized and pre-planned activity of the group, the loner is doomed to failure.

At the same time, dolphins, having such a significant advantage in the fight against sharks, are not the initiators of the attack on them. On the contrary, most often the toothy predator attacks first. And she is very happy to eat the meat of a collective mammal that has strayed from its flock for various reasons. But if the dolphins noticed aggressive actions on the part of a bloodthirsty predator, then she can’t get enough. The group of dolphins instantly surrounds their offender and begins to push and beat her with their powerful beaks. At the same time, dolphins, highly developed and smart creatures, always aim at the most vulnerable place of the shark - the gill slits. The whole flock of dolphins easily kill the shark. At the same time, they are much more powerful and more maneuverable.
By the same principle, dolphins “deal” with sharks when they save a person from their attack. Only as a last resort, the murder of his opponent, it usually does not reach. It is enough for dolphins to simply surround a person with a flock, and sharks quickly retreat from the failed crime scene.

On the video you can watch unique footage of one such miraculous human rescue by dolphins.

Then four young dolphins, with whom the operator had already met, began to drive away the sinister predator from the man. An eyewitness and participant in these events has no doubt that the animals understood that by their actions they saved a person from an attack.

Dolphins and sharks are constantly in opposition, their peaceful coexistence is hardly possible for a long time. Interestingly, if it were possible to arrange races, then who would be faster - a dolphin or a shark - would reach the finish line and win this competition.

Dolphin Speed

Dolphins have a streamlined body shape that helps cut through the water column with less resistance, which has a positive effect on speed. In addition, a special substance such as lubricant is released from the pores of the skin of these animals during swimming, which provides an even greater development of speed.

Accompanying ships, dolphins are able to maintain a stable speed of about 30 km/h for several days. Hardy and endowed with intelligence, these creatures have extremely delicate, sensitive skin, prone to injury when in contact with the bodies of vicious and voracious, bloodthirsty sharks. As soon as blood begins to flow from the cut, sea predators immediately lose their last composure and attack wounded animals.

When a dolphin leaves the chase or hunts, its speed can reach 55 km / h. This animal is considered one of the fastest creatures living in the water. There is unconfirmed evidence that the speed of some individuals reaches 70 km / h.

shark features

The predatory toothy fish of the shark family is distinguished not only by its huge terrible mouth, but also by its extraordinary mind, second only to dolphins. With cunning, this predator defeats even larger opponents. Sharks have many varieties, among which there are sedentary bottom dwellers and fast-moving ones, like the white shark.

Constantly ready to fill its stomach even more, the sea predator must look out for future prey in the water column, therefore it cannot be in motion all the time.

These dangerous fish have the following features:

• sharp eyesight, as well as the ability to perfectly navigate blindly, in pitch darkness;
• the strongest sense of smell;
• good memory;
• maintaining a hierarchy.

The shark can, like the dolphin, jump in the air about 6 m high.

Who quickly

On average, the speed of sharks is 50 km/h, although some species, like mako sharks, can reach speeds of 65 km/h. From the information provided by ichthyologists, we can conclude who is faster. The winner in this imaginary competition is recognized as a dolphin, capable of maintaining a consistently high speed for long hours.

Sharks, as one of the most bloodthirsty predatory fish, attack dolphins in a state of illness, injury or fatigue. Dolphins have also been seen attacking marine predators. But if in reality it was possible to hold a competition, then the dolphin would most likely win.