Motherhood knows no boundaries

Author: Carma Haley Shoemaker
Published on: September 24, 1999

There is one major difference between Cleo and other mothers; Cleo lives in the Atlantic Ocean. She is a dolphin.

It has been said that regardless of what species a mother belongs to, she is still just as loving, caring, and protective as those of other species. Dolphins are no different.

Dolphins travel in family groups called “pods”. One “pod” can contain up to five different generations of dolphins, and range in numbers up to 15. It has been known and observed that on occasions numerous “pods” will all gather together in what is known as a “herd”. It is not known why the pods gather this way, or when it will occur, which makes it difficult to document.

Mothers and their babies, called calves, will stay within the same pod for up to 6 or 7 years. At that time, the adolescent calf will venture off on its own to join up with other adolescents. This newly formed pod is referred to as a “juvenile pod”. This is similar to human mothers sending their children off to college or the service after graduating high school.

Just as human toddlers are corrected by their mothers for misbehaving, young dolphins are also disciplined. This behavior has been witnessed when the young calf swims too far from the pod, or is distracted by a jellyfish floating by. The mother will “slap” the young calf with her tail, or nudge the mischievous youngster with her nose to get the attention back to the task at hand.

In most pods, there are female dolphins that are referred to as “nurse maids”. It has been known for the mothers to leave their calves with these “nurse maid” females while they go off to hunt for food, or to chase off predators. The “nurse maid” dolphins could be compared to human baby sitters. When the mother returns, the calf will again swim at her side, leaving the “nurse maid” dolphin to baby-sit for another young calf.

The pods that contain mothers and calves are called the “breeding pods”. It is rare to see an adult male within these pods, although there is no concrete reason as to why. One of the theories is that the older males, especially if the dominant male in his own pod, may feel threatened in the order, or hierarchy, by the adolescent males that remain with their mothers. When threatened, the dominant adult male will confront the younger male and could cause injury. It is believed that the mothers and the “nurse maids” will chase away the dominant adult males to prevent this situation from occurring.

It is not uncommon for an orphaned calf to be found swimming around its mother even after an untimely death. According to researchers from the “Dolphin Research Center” (http://www.dolphins.org) over one half of the premature, or injury based deaths of the mothers with young calves is due to the mother protecting her young from harm or danger. The end result; she gave her life for her young.

Just as ape, chimpanzee, cat, dog, and human mothers, dolphin mothers love, care, teach, discipline and protect their young. Motherhood is an instinct that is apparent in numerous species. Being a mother takes patience, time and understanding. Whether on land, or at sea, motherhood knows no boundaries.