A 2013 study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, revealed startling behavior about our marine mammal cousins: bottlenose dolphins recognize signature whistles of other dolphins whom they know, and may even mimic them.

The researchers found that the bottlenose dolphins “extract identity information from signature whistles, even after all voice features have been removed from the signal,” which helps them to form different types of social relationships. When calling other dolphins by their “names,” researchers noted variations, including personal attributes of the dolphin calling out, which could suggest they were sharing additional information. Think of it as if you just locked your keys in the car how you might call out to your spouse, or if a child had wandered off. There’s more information in how you call someone’s name than just the name itself.

While the researchers say there’s more to study, they do believe what they’ve observed is rare in the animal world. The ability for animals to communicate names and information through language is a pretty small circle of species.

And what this indicates, of course, is that there are likely myriad complex animal relationships we may not ever fully comprehend, such as bees‘ “hive mind,” how ants send signals, or why elephants mourn deaths of others for so long. But it does further bring into question human dominion over animals and the justifications for doing so.

As our food systems rely more heavily on animals than ever before in history, it’s worth recognizing the potential for these animals to comprehend and respond to their circumstances. Pigs, for example, are actually more intelligent than the average dog. We don’t need much convincing of a dog’s ability to reason and communicate with us. In fact, for many of us, the conversations are as clear as those with another human.

It’s reasonable too to consider that as our own human intelligence, consciousness, and awareness evolves, so too may our fellow earthlings be adapting and learning at a rapid pace. This TED talk suggests a human kinship with dolphins is more likely than with chimpanzees. And even as countless animal and insect species are becoming extinct around the planet, many more are thriving in this changing world, and wouldn’t it be a lot more fun if they all had names, too?

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In 2009, off the coast of South Korea, a dolphin was accidentally caught in a fishing net. But rather than being freed and released (as required by law), she was illegally sold into captivity to the Pacific Land aquarium.

Named Sampal, the 10-year-old dolphin was forced to perform in the aquarium’s shows. Along with two other dolphins, she lived in captivity in a small pool and was kept hungry, forced to perform tricks every day to earn her food.

Over the course of four years, Sampal’s plight garnered attention. Activists, biologists and the mayor of Seoul all called for the dolphin’s release from captivity, citing the injustice of her confinement.

A year ago, facing mounting pressure, the Korean High Court finally ordered that Sampal and her two companions be set free. Rehabilitation specialists began to prepare the animals for release, but feared the dolphins had lost their survival skills, and would therefore need training before returning to the wild.

Several organizations, including the Korean Animal Welfare Association, Ewha University and the Cetacean Research Center teamed up to help with the rehabilitation process.

Ric O’Barry, director of Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project, even visited the cetaceans to assess their condition. He was pleased with their progress, though at the time he noted, “They need to be un-trained what they learned at Pacific Land and retaught how to live in the ocean.”

This is where the story gets really good.

According to Treehugger, Sampal and the others were placed in a netted sea pen as part of her preparation. But months before the planned release, which was scheduled for later this summer, Sampal took matters into her own fins.

On June 22, the netting in the pen tore, and she managed to escape by squeezing through the small hole, an amazing feat considering that dolphins generally avoid swimming in tight spaces. At first she hovered outside the pen, but as handlers arrived to investigate the situation, she swam into the open water and did not return.

Concerned about her welfare and whether she still knew how to survive in the wild, the rehab crew worked to locate Sampal. Luckily, it didn’t take long for their fears to be put to rest. Researchers from the Cetacean Research Center located Sampal 60 miles away from where she had been held. Not only that, but she was swimming with 50 other dolphins, who are believed to be members of her original pod. After all those years, she was finally home.

O’Barry believes Sampal’s aquarium companions will also fare well. “I think the others will do fine once they are released too,” he said. “They know exactly what to do; they just need the opportunity to do it.”

There’s a powerful lesson here. Although Sampal’s thoughts and decisions remain her own, it seems that Sampal disliked prison as much as anyone would, and craved her freedom and her family, who welcomed her return. Maybe one day, cetacean shows will be a thing of the past, allowing all sea mammals to live freely with their pods, without threats from humans. – China DeSpain

This article appears courtesy of Ecorazzi

Ecorazzi covers news and gossip on celebrities and notables in support of the environment and humanitarian causes. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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