In Search of the Bigger Bubble

It's not just little kids who enjoy blowing bubbles -- it seems that dolphins do, too! They frequently blow bubbles underwater, often makingbubble rings.

As these rings rise, dolphins swipe at them with their fins causing the bubbles to turn or flip over completely. Usually, before a ring reaches the surface, they'll destroy it by biting it.

Researching the Ring
If two good rings are made in quick succession, the rings will often join together to make an even larger bubble ring that dolphins particularly enjoy flipping and biting. All this bubble-related activity certainly lookslike intentional play -- but is it?

Researchers studying young bottlenose dolphins at Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo, California think they may have proven that dolphins don't blow bubbles at random.