Are Conversations Between Dolphins and Humans Possible?

Abstract

Scientific speculations concerning the sophistication of dolphin communication systems have contributed to the notion that meaningful two-way communication between dolphins and humans is possible. This notion has garnered considerable support in the media and popular literature, resulting in an enduring myth that dolphins and humans can communicate in ways that rival, and perhaps even surpass, human-human communication. The truth, however, is quite different from the myth. Although humans and dolphins can certainly communicate with one another, communication between dolphins and humans has been quite limited to date. In fact, there is no compelling scientific evidence that humans and dolphins have engaged in meaningful conversations that involved mutual exchanges of information. In this paper, I consider the reasons why communication between humans and dolphins has been much more limited than many media reports suggest.