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The Bandana
Game
"Bandana" is a game that Captain Scott
"invented" a few years ago when he noticed that the
dolphins sometimes played "keep away" with a piece
of seaweed or a sea fan. The dolphins pick
something up off the bottom and swim around with it
on their flippers or tails, sometimes passing it
off to each other, or sometimes trying to steal it
from each other.
Scott started playing the game with the dolphins
using a brightly colored bandana. He takes the
bandana in the water and waves it around until a
dolphin swims up fast and steals it from him, then
the game begins! The goal is to attempt to steal
the bandana back from the dolphins. I have to tell
you, this game is pretty much impossible to win
unless the dolphins want to let you have it back.
Every once in a while you might get close enough
that you think you can grab it, but when you reach
out, the dolphin just moves away one inch further
than you can reach. I had a lucky day--a dolphin
felt sorry for me and came close enough that I
could grab it. I grabbed the bandana from his fin
and howled a "yee haw!" into my snorkel, thinking I
was pretty darned fast, but really we both knew the
dolphin just gave it to me. I swam down to the
bottom, let go of the bandana and headed to the
surface. Another dolphin swooped in, grabbed the
bandana and the game began again. That time it took
nearly an hour to get it back. Scott reports that
he has lost more than a few bandanas over the years
doing this. Sometimes they like the bandana so much
that they just don't give it back! (The real
question is...where are they keeping them all?)
I find this fascinating because these are
totally wild animals. They have not been trained in
any way, nor did they learn this behavior from
people. This is an activity that they invented. The
idea that they will do it with people simply blows
my mind. Imagine the same scenario involving some
kind of wild terrestrial animal...no way. This is
just one of the reasons why dolphins are so cool
and intelligent.
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Scott tries to get the dolphins to grab
his bandana.
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The dolphins are circling around trying
to decide if they want to play. Captain
Scott is waving the bandana around to
attract their attention.
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This dolphin has the bandana on her
pectoral fin. (This is a pregnant female.
See the belly?)
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Three dolphins swim under me. The
middle dolphin has the bandana on its
fluke! (How do they keep it there?)
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The same dolphin still has the bandana
on its fluke.
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That dolphin is hogging the
bandana!
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Using a scooter is cheating, but it still
doesn't help!
Bright orange fabric shows up better
underwater than a normal bandana so this
is my new favorite material to use!
The dolphin game began when Capt. Scott
saw the dolphins playing with seaweed and
dead sea fans like this. He decided to try
it with a bandana and get the people in on
the fun!
Passing the bandana off to a dolphin to
start the game.
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Captain Scott trying to initiate a
game!
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