Beneath the surface of these so-called “fun dolphin facts” lies a disturbing reality most people never hear about. From violent attacks to sexually aggressive behavior, the ocean’s smartest predator has a sinister side.
In this article, we’re diving deep into 15 disturbing dolphin facts that will leave you shocked, unsettled, and rethinking everything you know about these marine mammals. If you’ve ever wondered, “Are dolphins evil?” — this might just convince you.
So brace yourself as we expose the darkest dolphin behaviors hidden beneath their playful facade.
1. Do Dolphins Kill Babies? The Shocking Truth About Dolphin Infanticide
It doesn't take a genius to realize that a creature who kills a defenseless baby has evil rooted within it. In fact, throughout human history, the idea of killing babies has been used as an effective propaganda method to dehumanize many groups of people.
However, what if you learned that dolphins are sometimes baby killers? That's right, the so-called playful and joyful animals that roam the seas bully and kill babies of other species.
In a Newsweek article on violent dolphin behavior toward baby manatees, Eric Angel Ramos, a researcher study author at the Fundación Internacional para la Naturaleza y la Sustentabilidad, stated,
We report 10 cases of interactions between bottlenose dolphins and Antillean manatee calves along the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea. We observed dolphins interact with manatee babies in various ways, sometimes swimming with the baby calmly and in other cases, getting aggressive with calves and biting and hitting them. Four of the 10 cases we documented involved manatee babies that were recovered and had dolphin bite marks on them.
Read more from Newsweek.
Another incident that gained notoriety was the discovery by scientists of dolphins killing baby porpoises. Many theories have suggested that they may have seen the porpoises as competition, so they tried to end them.
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Like humans, dolphins have been observed to possess unique personalities; this finding was made by scientists studying dolphin psychology in a group of wild bottlenose dolphins living in Italy’s Gulf of Amani. The researchers conducted an experiment, where new items were introduced into the surroundings of wild dolphins. Some eagerly explored the items, signifying their bolder and more curious personality, while others avoided the items, showing their cautious and shy personality.
Read more about dolphin psychology at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Site.
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| Scientific Classification of Dolphins |
2. Can Dolphins Rape Humans? Sexual Aggression in Captivity
Before you dive into the water with a dolphin, you should understand a disturbing truth about their behavior. Dolphins have extremely high sex drives, and in some documented cases, they’ve shown sexual aggression toward humans.
Studies on dolphins in captivity reveal that these marine mammals can become so stressed and traumatized that they display sexually deviant behavior, including attempts to mount or even rape humans.
While it may sound unbelievable, multiple researchers have noted these behaviors, raising serious questions about the safety of human-dolphin interactions.
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In the Japanese seaside town, Mihama, a lonely and sexually frustrated Bottlenose dolphin led to an immense spike in the number of attacks on humans. More than 18 people were injured, and one child needed more than 20 stitches for their finger. Tadamichi Morisaka, a cetology professor at Japan's Mie University, stated, "It is reasonable to assume that it is the same individual, as the wounds on the tail fin are similar to those of the dolphins seen off the coast last year, and it is rare for dolphins, which normally move in groups, to be alone for such a long time." Also, on the incident, Dr. Simon Allen, a biologist and principal investigator with the Shark Bay Dolphin Research project, stated, "Just as in humans and other social animals, hormonal fluctuations, sexual frustration or the desire to dominate might drive the dolphin to injuring the people it interacts with. Since they are such powerful animals, this can lead to serious injury in humans."
Read more at the BBC.
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3. Why Dolphins Kill Their Own Calves — The Dark Side of Dolphin Parenting
Besides killing babies of other species, Dolphins also kill babies of their species because it triggers the female to become ready to get pregnant again. Marine animal cruelty is on another level, right? Well, if you think about it, this dark dolphin behavior isn't tied to dolphins or even sea creatures alone.
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A woman named Leanne Rosser recanted her experience of observing dolphin infanticide in action. She stated, "For 75 grueling minutes, attackers struck 115 times. Throughout the observation, we identified 23 dolphins either in or around the attack group. Although we were not able to directly witness the calf’s death, the tenacity of this kind of attack most likely resulted in an unfortunate end. The internal injuries that are likely to be sustained from the flipping and ramming behaviors are usually fatal."
Read more about her experience at Whale Scientists.
4. Dolphin Gang Rape and Kidnapping — When the Sea Turns Evil
Besides killing babies, Dolphins are also notorious kidnappers. Scientists observed that groups of male dolphins sometimes come together and take a female from her group. They then proceed to take turns raping the female until they finish.
In a 1992 paper titled "Two Levels of Alliance Formation Among Male Bottlenose Dolphins," Richard C. Connor and colleagues explained how male dolphins engage in gang rape activity. They stated,
We observed 19 captures by the provisioned males, of which 17 included obvious chases and 2 merely involved the males rushing up to and around the female. Male aggression toward a consort included chasing, hitting with the tail, head-jerks (sharp lateral or vertical movements of the head), charging, biting, or slamming bodily into the female. Males enforced herding partly by making a "popping" vocalization which induced the herded female to approach. When a female failed to approach a popping male, he sometimes threatened or attacked her.
Read more at Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS.
5. Do Dolphins Use Baby Animals As Toys? Sadistic Dolphin Games
Imagine the amount of outrage that would occur if people found out someone was using a baby as a toy. Well, dolphins don't mind using babies as toys. These playful creatures sometimes take turns tossing vulnerable babies of other animals, including sharks.
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In an incident in Cardigan Bay, researchers observed a mother dolphin violently toss her newborn baby into the air. Dr. Peter Evans, from the Sea Watch Foundation, who witnessed the incident, explained the mother might have been scolding the baby as he said, "It was moving away, several times, from the mother, and perhaps it was straying too far and she wanted to keep a close eye on it. It was possible it got a strong scolding because of that, and the animal was unharmed at the end."
6. Do Dolphins Have STDs? Dolphin STIs You Didn’t Know Existed
While it might surprise some, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) aren’t exclusive to humans. Across the animal kingdom, various species are affected.
Rabbits can contract syphilis, and baboons have been seen with herpes. Dolphins, too, are no exception. Studies have shown that bottlenose dolphins can carry genital warts caused by papillomaviruses and even Gammaherpesviruses, a type of herpes virus that affects their reproductive organs. So, if you've ever asked, “Do dolphins have STDs?”—the unsettling answer is yes.
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| Deviant Behaviors In Dolphins |
7. How Dolphins Sleep With One Eye Open and Stay Deadly
Because dolphins can sleep with half of their brain, they can remain active and alert for about 15 days in a row; this is combined with the fact that they are brutal predators who hunt in predefined formations. Scary, right? How can a creature be asleep and still conscious of prey?
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Dolphins can learn new bizarre hunting skills from their friends. In Shark Bay, Western Australia, scientists discovered a group of dolphins engaging in a hunting method they call shelling. It involves guiding fish into the empty shells of giant snails, taking the shells to the water's surface, and violently shaking them to kill the fish. According to researchers, this skill is taught by experienced shellers to the younger generation.
Read more at Science.
8. Torturing Their Food: Why Dolphins Play With Live Prey
It may not be a crime to waste food, but playing with living food feels so evil. Dolphins toss around fish and squids until they are too tired to fight. Talk about breaking the prey's spirit before munching on them.
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Tenderizing is very common among dolphins as it helps them break down large prey. Study authors David Hocking, a marine zoologist at Monash University, and Kate Sprogis, a marine mammal ecologist at Murdoch University, explain that in the case of consuming octopuses, dolphins toss the prey around to prevent its suckers from activating as that could result in death.
9. Dolphin Penis Facts: What Makes Their Reproductive Organs So Weird?
Now, having penises and vaginas is not weird in itself, but some animals have evolved sexual organs that make it impossible for the opposite gender to refuse copulation. Dolphins are one such as they have prehensile penises that are like a hook; this makes it impossible for a female to wiggle her way out.
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Although dolphin penises are prehensile—able to swivel, grab, and even explore like a hand—female dolphins have evolved complex vaginal folds to resist unwanted penetration and maintain control during mating. Whenever a female dolphin doesn't want to bear the child of a male dolphin, she can reposition herself in such a way that sperm from the male is redirected into a dead-end; this helps the female combat having offspring from undesirable males.
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| A Sample of A Common Dolpjin's Penis - Credit |
10. Dolphins Caught Masturbating With Dead Fish: Disturbing Marine Behavior
Do dolphins masturbate? Surprisingly, the answer to that is yes, and they sometimes do so in a bizarre manner. Dolphins were observed to masturbate, not just with themselves, but with the decapitated heads of fish in some documented cases.
A video that showed a dolphin indulging in the bizarre act was uploaded to YouTube. It garnered more than 300 thousand views and thousands of reactions from viewers.
One viewer stated,
This is a very deep, soulful, concoction of a video, the simple lustful joy of the dolphin, the tense music, and the beheaded fish, perfection.
11. Are Dolphins Dangerous to Humans? When Play Turns to Biting
When they are not killing babies or playing with live food, Dolphins can resort to undue aggression. Because of how prone they are to violence, many authorities advise people to avoid getting too close, as they could also pull one into the water besides biting them.
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Though dolphins can be violent, there is only one recorded case of one killing a human, and it took place in 1994 off the coast of São Paulo in Brazil. The dolphin involved was Tião, a curious animal known to be comfortable around humans. People began taking advantage of Tião's closeness and would try to ride on him or even stick ice cream cones into his blowhole; this led to him becoming aggressive and injuring people. On December 8, 1994, Tião struck a 30-year-old who later died due to a stomach rupture. Later, in 1995, he left the region and was never seen again.
Read more on the Tião incident on IFLScience.
12. Can Dolphins Get High? The Truth About Dolphins and Pufferfish
It's no surprise that animals use poisons to get intoxicated. Humans are known to inject, inhale, and ingest a variety of chemicals to achieve different levels of high. Dolphins are no exception, as they also try to get high by using toxins from animals like the pufferfish. A BBC One documentary series titled "Dolphins: Spy in the Pod," captured one such event.
Rob Pilley, a zoologist and producer on the documentary series, stated in an interview with the Sunday Times:
This was a case of young dolphins purposely experimenting with something we know to be intoxicating. After chewing the puffer gently and passing it round, they began acting most peculiarly, hanging around with their noses at the surface as if fascinated by their own reflection.
Read more on the story at The Independent.
13. How Dolphins Invent New Ways to Kill Their Prey
We all know Dolphins are intelligent, but some may not know they are incredibly good at formulating new methods of prey hunting—methods such as shelling, which was covered earlier. They invent new strategies and formations to catch food and hunt in groups of thousands.
These behaviors aren’t just instinct; they’re taught, shared, and passed down, often changing over time, suggesting dolphins are capable of cultural learning, a trait once thought to be uniquely human.
14. Do Dolphins Torture For Fun? What Science Says About Dolphin Cruelty
Most people excuse animal sadistic behaviors as an act of instinct. However, Dolphins enjoy torturing their food, raping females, and taunting vulnerable creatures, and the worst part is they very much understand the actions they take. It is uncertain if all engage in these acts, but the ones who do revel in them never stop.
15. Dolphin Sexuality: How Male Dolphins Use Homosexuality to Trap Females
From the facts above, you already know that Dolphins can be sexual deviants, but what you don't know is that they sometimes form homosexual relationships, which are like a stronger form of bond.
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Male dolphins form homosexual relationships for many reasons, including getting females (as there is a higher chance of male pairs securing and mating with females), protecting themselves against predators, keeping females from other males so they can mate for extended periods, and having better hunting chances.
Conclusion
Dolphins are intelligent, social, and fascinating. But as we’ve seen, they’re also capable of some deeply disturbing behavior. Whether it’s gang rape, baby killing, or playing with food for fun, the dark side of dolphins proves that nature hides true horror in plain sight.
Want more shocking truths? Dive deeper into the strange world of animals with our Terrifying Whale Facts. Share this if you now think dolphins might just be the ocean’s most twisted predator.
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