2/15/2017, By: Ray Vann – Puff puff pass has been given a whole new meaning, according to marine biologists in Southeast Asia.
Dolphins, long considered to be one of the most intelligent species on the planet, have been observed in the wild chewing on and passing around puffer fish, a creature which naturally produces tetrotoxin, a powerful neurotoxin known for its lethality. In small doses, however, the poison doesn’t kill, but it does cause quite a buzz.
The evidence for this behavior was captured by wildlife film maker John Downer, who, in his documentary Dolphins: Spies in the Pod, witnessed a group of young dolphins snag a puffer fish from near the ocean floor and begin to pass it around. Finally, after a bit of play, the fish releases a dark brown cloud of toxin, causing the dolphins to release their prey and revel in their new reward.
As Downer himself explains, “we saw the dolphins handle the puffers with kid gloves, very gently and delicately like they were almost milking them to not upset the fish too much or kill it. As a result the fish released various toxins as a defense. The dolphins then seemed to be mesmerized….The dolphins were specifically going after the puffers and handling them with care.”
Rob Pilley a zoologist who worked on the documentary, further elaborated, stating “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.”
Dolphin researcher Krista Nicholson, from Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, adds even more this idea of undersea high, and says that the behavior is not exclusive to Asia, but can in fact be seen in dolphin species around the globe.
With the idea that dolphins, as well as a number of other animals, are taking recreational drugs to give themselves a high, does this alter the argument for drug legalization in any way? Does it add an idea that, perhaps, altering our minds is actually part of the natural world, and the fact that it is a behavior that can be seen in other species serves to show that perhaps it is not as destructive as some out there might lead us to believe? Well, that is probably an article for another time.
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