Playing Games

Dolphins love to play. In fact, I think it is one of their greatest teachings to us: Lighten up and have fun. They have a sense of humor, and they are always playing games. They are inventive and quickly think up new and fun ways to interact with each other and with those of us who follow along like groupies wanting to be included. They are gracious and allow us to play in spite of the fact that we are slow and clumsy in the water. There is nothing more exciting to me than to be allowed to participate in dolphin play!

Leaf game
Description:
One of the most popular dolphin games is the leaf (or plastic bag or scarf or whatever thing they find) game. The first time the dolphins played the leaf game in front of me was the most memorable. One afternoon, while swimming in a bay, I watched the dolphins play it at top speed. A large male swam by with a good-sized leaf draped over one his pectoral fins. He lowered his pec and the leaf floated off. As several other dolphins zoomed in to get it, he snagged it on his tail flukes with a snappy little kick. He was off at top speed with the others in hot pursuit. It was so exciting, especially because they were zooming right around me. Although I was in the middle of the game, I could never get close enough to the leaf to even be considered a part of the game. At one point the dolphin with the leaf dropped right in front of me. Before I could even move, another dolphin rushed by within inches of my nose to get it, but the first one just flipped it on to his tail and was off again, with the others racing after him. It felt to me as if playing the leaf game was a sort of initiation or acceptance ritual, a welcome to the pod celebration.

How to Play:
When the leaf is offered to you, take it. Be creative; drape it on parts of your body, do somersaults, dive down with it. But be sure to let it go before the dolphin gets bored and moves on. Once the dolphin gets the leaf back, go after it. This is a time when it’s okay to chase, as it’s part of the game.

The Circle Game
Description:
A dolphin swims around you really quickly and you try to keep up. During one dolphin encounter, a very energetic adult male taught me the circle game. He dove down and looking up at me I could see he expected me to follow, which I did. He then raced to the surface and began circling some more. I could barely catch my breath when down he went again. Finally, I had to stop just to catch my breath and spit out all the water I swallowed. I looked around as I was resting and saw several dolphins, in a line, watching intently. The dolphin I was playing with swam away and two others at the front of the line quickly swam over to take its place.

How to play:
You will be on the inside of the circle, so circle as tight and as fast as you can.

Bubbles
Description:
The dolphins often play with bubbles of air that they make from their blowholes. I have seen them make twelve-inch bubbles, which they gently push around beneath the surface. They treat these delicate orbs with great care and are able to keep them intact for as long as two minutes before they intentionally burst them by biting them or pushing them to the surface. Sometimes a dolphin releases a large bubble from his blowhole and then gently blows a series of small bubbles into the larger one. The dolphins have a wonderful ability to control the size, shape, and quantity of the bubbles they make as they eliminate air from their blowholes underwater. It is often a combination of playing and artistic expression and it is very beautiful to watch.

How to play:
This is somewhat difficult to answer because there are endless possibilities, so I have listed several games I have seen or participated in to give you some ideas. The dolphins are true masters of this game and art, but I have come to find that they are more interested in you if you attempt to do something unique with your bubbles. Then, you can take your cues from the dolphins and just observe them or start making bubbles of your own!
Once, a group of 10 dolphins swimming beneath me simultaneously released a group of large, 8-inch bubbles that began wobbling slowly toward the surface. I stopped swimming to observe the silvery, undulating orbs magically rising. When the bubbles were within 5 feet of me, I watched in amazement as a line of small, fast bubbles came skyrocketing up from the dolphins below, and hit the large bubbles—every one—causing them to burst in the water like an underwater version of bowling or a shooting gallery! What a beautiful sight, as the large silvery bubbles burst into sparkling, popping rainbows and the small bubble scattered in all directions. I have seen them make a bubble wall, where a group of dolphins releases a barrage of small bubbles in such profusion that they fill a 15-foot area; seeing through those bubbles is impossible. I have not been able to do this one myself.
During a dolphin swim encounter I had in Australia, I was floating at the surface, and could hear the dolphins, but could not see them. I thin emission of bubbles began to appear below me. As the bubbles came closer, I noticed that they were shaped like a big hula hoop. Without thinking, I dove into it and began swiveling my hips and danced with it. The ring moved like jello around me, as the dolphins appeared and watched me dancing with the bubble hoop.
I have seen the dolphins make patterns, shapes out of bubbles that are nothing short of amazing works of art. The most astonishing experience I ever had was seeing a huge "screen" that looked like a lighted billboard in Times Square. The tiny bubbles in the screen were in the shape of a dolphin!

Toying around
Description:
Dolphins sometimes play with stingrays, taking them in their mouths and tossing the about like Frisbees. How to Play: DON’T! As funny as this is to observe, the stingrays do not enjoy it and often release their barbs onto the dolphins.

Sound:
Description:
The dolphins have an extensive repertoire of sounds; it takes a long time to even attempt to decipher their meanings—it truly is another language. I have seen and heard the dolphins participate in some amazing game-like activities with sound, although some behavior might be interpreted as a healing process rather than a game.

Besides using sonar to receive and send messages, I have seen dolphins use their sonar with precision to stun small fish, causing the fish to fall to the bottom of the bay. The dolphin circles down and gently nudges the inert fish, until the fish regains consciousness and begins to move. Sometimes when the fish tries to groggily swim away, the dolphin zaps it again with his sonar and the fish falls back to the bottom. I have never seen a dolphin eat the fish during this demonstration, only play.
I have also seen a behavior that I call "performing surgery," in which one dolphin exposes his belly toward the surface and several dolphins surround it and echolocate intense vibrations onto the dolphin. Perhaps it could be a massage!

How to Play:
I encourage you to make sounds of all sorts to attract and communicate with the dolphins. When you are near a dolphin and they echolocate on you, enjoy the vibes!