Patricia Athena
Dolphin Researcher

Study of Dolphin/Human Interactions
Oct 2004 - April 2005

Background

This study on human dolphin interactions took place over a 5 month period from October- 2004- until March 2005. This was the summer season in Bunbury, Western Australia.

Bunbury is the home to over 150m resident dolphins who quite often interact with people. The Dolphin discovery Centre on Koombana Bay is a non profit organization established to monitor and educate the public and conduct research of the dolphin population.

Most interviews were conducted on the beach at the Dolphin Discovery Centre. Dolphins regularly come into the interaction zone set up with marker buoys. Local people as well as many overseas visitors come to interact with the dolphins. Visitors are invited to come into the water in a line up to thigh deep and observe the dolphins. There are strict guidelines about not touching the dolphins.

Smaller groups can go into deeper water and observe dolphins with snorkel and goggles. Other interviews were conducted with people who went out on the Dolphin Centers swim tours. This was in deeper water in the bay. Groups would float together and wait for dolphins to appear. There were often interactions with the dolphins although usually for short periods of 20 seconds to a minute approximately.

Interviews were conducted with volunteers and staff at the Dolphin Discovery Center who had had a lot of time interacting with the dolphins.Other people interviewed were people who attended talks and workshops attended by Patricia or people in the region who had experienced some dolphin interactions.

The study was divided into 2 groups. The first one involved the therapy group of disabled children who attended the beach at different times and worked with Carla Henco and volunteers in the therapy group. All the children had visited the beach over varying periods of time. Two of the children (Tobias and Alison) had traveled with their parents from Germany to visit the dolphins. The established qualitative-phenomenological approach was used in this study.

Interviews were taped and later transcribed into raw data. Natural Meaning Units were extracted from the data and an Interpreter Key listing experiences of self, others and the world was composed. Frequency of experiences helped to create Central Themes. Descriptive statements were then developed supported by participants experiences. Changes were noticed and recorded particularly with the two children in the therapy group who came to the beach over 2 seasons (8 months) and attended the therapy group most days of the week.

Results from the study with the Therapy Group

Children and adults involved in therapy on the beach at the Dolphin the Centre experienced changes over various periods of time.

The most obvious changes after being with the dolphins included; children and adults being happy, more peaceful and relaxed just following and Later children making more sounds and communicating with others more and positive behaviour changes.

Tobias is a 10 year old boy who travelled with his mother from Germany to participate in the therapy program. He came over 3 seasons and about 8 months of therapy. When he first came he was a very introvert boy with severe developmental delay and was diagnosed with physical and mental development of a 4 year old. Dramatic changes were noticed in Tobias over the period. He changed physically, mentally and emotionally. He had some initial difficulty; “We tried to walk with him on the beach. It was difficult to even walk on the sand with bare feet. He did not like it and was crying. He would cry even to put his feet in the water”.

He made some dramatic progress; “In the fourth week I put him into sand and he loved it. This was good progress. He started to make some sounds. He got excited”

After the total of 8 months therapy progress had been made; He is now open to interact with other people and is more social. He was always crying before. He now laughs a lot now and seems happy. Now he is staying for a longer time. He now develops with his speech with more sounds coming. His walking is getting better”

These statements highlight the changes that happened for Tobias during his stay. He had more eye contact, communicated with people on the beach and was laughing a lot. “They came around him a lot and I had a feeling the dolphins knew him. He would have so much sadness and anger. With the dolphins he was a happy boy. It was so obvious that something changed for him.”

Participants in the program tend to become more relaxed during and following their visits to the beach.

Mitchell visits the beach regularly and lives locally: “His non verbal and has never spoken a word in his life. He has very limited communication skills. He has as no regular communication. Therefore his level of frustration and behaviour problems are enormous” He will actually like almost go limp in the water, he will lay limp, he'll go from tense and very up tight to laying limp relaxed, he may jump up and down, sing, he may splash, he may actually show enormous changes in his body and in his ability to relax.

When he goes home he's generally more relaxed. He's generally more peaceful. Sometimes whether its the peacefulness or relaxation he will often be tired.  While his visits to the beach were challenging there were other rewards. Visiting the beach has expanded his experience;

“Spaciousness of the beach and ocean extends him well beyond his normal capacity to cope”. Overall Mitchel showed lots of change .  “The change is huge.A huge change.”

Other children who visited the beach from the local Special school showed some significant changes. These behavioural changes were noticed by the school principal;
“When the children return from the dolphin therapy program they are often engaged and looking for work in our program back at school. By the end of the day they have quite significant tiredness. They have worked hard.” “I have noticed when the 3 children in the program came back to school they were easy to work with. They had a behavioural change where they had more eye contact and attention when they came back”. Changes in speech and ability to walk were noticed in other children;

Alison was another girl in the program; “The biggest change was that her speech started coming and she started walking after 2 weeks with the dolphin” Initially Alison cried a lot and could not walk without assistance. Results from the study with People who had Dolphin Interactions

This study involved 20 participants who talked about their experiences with the dolphins at Bunbury and in other places around the world.The main themes related to self are when people have been with the dolphins they are happy and laugh a lot, some have an amazing experience and sometimes they are very excited. People can be more relaxed and have a feeling that they can love more deeply.

With others they see that people are happy, generally have a good time, sometimes get emotional and can respond more to love from others.

In the world people experience feeling full of love. Dolphins create a lot of energy around people and people feel a sense of freedom. People describe being connected to all things, DNA being activated, reaching other levels of consciousness and feeling brand new again.

When people are with dolphins they tend to laugh a lot and experience heightened levels of joy.