TIL that dolphins love reggae music during underwater repairs

We were fixing a pipeline off the coast of Jamaica last month. The boat's speaker blasted reggae tunes, and a dolphin showed up, bumping into our gear. Can you believe it tried to dance with the welding torch? The captain said it was lucky, but we lost an hour of dive time.

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_williams356d ago

Seriously, calling that "lucky" after you lost a whole hour? That dolphin was probably just confused by the weird sounds, not actually dancing to reggae. Getting close to welding gear is a REAL danger for the animal and your crew. It's silly to think they love our music when they might just be stressed by the noise. Your work delay shows it was a problem, not some magical moment. We should avoid messing with wildlife instead of making up cute stories. That kind of thinking can lead to actual harm out there.

the_olivia6d ago

Your point about not messing with wildlife is fair, but what if they approach you? We stopped all loud work and let the dolphin pass, which worked without any drama.

gracer284d ago

Honestly, same here. I saw a sea lion get too close to a dredging site once, and we had to shut down for safety. Uma_williams35 nailed it, animals aren't there for our entertainment. It kept circling back, probably stressed by the engine sounds. We lost half a day's work, but better than hurting the thing. People think it's cute until a propeller gets involved.