Hang out with dolphins for a little while, and you'll soon observe that games play an important part in their social interaction. People have observed dolphins playing with leaves, seaweed, and even plastic trash bags, draping them across their rostrums (beaks), dorsal fins, pectoral fins and tail flukes. By engaging in games with dolphins we are able to gain valuable insights into their behavior and communication - both verbal and non-verbal. Video taping these underwater play sessions has proven indispensable, because we frequently observe details of the play interaction that we completely overlooked while the game was in progress. Often, in our games with dolphins, there is so much activity going on all at once, that we only notice what is right in front of our dive mask. It is only later when reviewing the video that we fully grasp the depth of the dolphins' willingness to engage us.
We have now begun to try enrichment programs and games with orangutans at Jungle Island in Miami and we are very excited by our preliminary results.
