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Still, as Big Look says, there is much about them that remains mystery.

You know, here we have living right next door to Humanity a group of intelligent beings that have a language and a society for us to investigate and experience, and we treat them like dogs and cats and teach them tricks. We also have many groups of scientists and supporters spending time and treasure planning and looking in the heavens for "the first signs of 'intelligent' life".

Who's playing with who?

When it comes to wild animals, I simply enjoy and respect them. I am always thrilled to spot a pod of dolphins from the shore. However, I would not be so dim-bulbed as to “swim with the dolphins.” Nor do I want to see them swimming in a tank and doing “tricks.”

Speaking of wildlife, a hummingird is nesting in a tree branch outside my window for the second time this season. I think she laid her eggs yesterday.

I interviewed several sources for an article I once wrote re dolphins and sea lions, found that amazingly little research was being done re the Pacific bottlenose dolphin.

You know, here we have living right next door to Humanity a group of intelligent beings that have a language and a society for us to investigate and experience, and we treat them like dogs and cats and teach them tricks.

Be careful assigning sentient intelligence to whales and dolphins on a par with humans. Inter group communications are common in pack or herd animals and are often unique within the group. Signaling does not equate to language though meaning can be intuited from it.

In all the years of studying whales and dolphins,no phonetic system, no syntax and no vocabulary has been determined........nor have they caught on to ours beyond simple commands.

Since we have been able to teach them 'tricks' indicates rudimentary intelligence and perhaps even problem solving abilities, like "How to get food'. It maybe the case that each pod has its own signaling system such that recordings retransmitted to other pods are meaningless.....other than to alert them to a nonexistent intruder to their territory.

Who's playing with who?