Irish Dolphins have their own brogue

I did not feel good all day yesterday. Still feeling a little rundown. I popped a bunch of pills and got lots of rest. So much rest that I now can't sleep. So I thought I would get up early and post something for a friend of mine. I will post that in a minute. But first I wanted to post this story I heard about today.

It seems the Dolphins that live around Ireland, have a different speech than other dolphins. I found that very interesting and the science geek in me wonders why?

The idiot geek in me keeps thinking of another dolphin swimming around the ocean minding his own business and meeting an Irish Dolphin and hearing something like "Cad is ainm duit?" or the ever popular "Yaknowwhorrameyan?" and the dolphin pausing for a moment wondering what the hell was just said! I have been in that situation a couple times here, so picturing this is funny to me. Of course it could be all the medicine I have taken.
When I picture this I can imagine being with all my PA friends and making this comment. You would all stop and think about if for a moment and then everyone would laugh because it was so stupid. I am laughing right now just picturing you all laughing at my stupid comment. And I already know that a certain someone in PA will read this and she will say, "I didn't know Dolphins spoke Irish." (There is always one of them in the crowd) And then someone will point out to her that they can't really speak the language and then she will say, "Then I don't get it." Which makes me laugh right now, because you know she will do this and now when she does, you will all be laughing at her when she does it. Ah, the good old days. Think of me when she does it. I miss you guys.

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http://www.shannondolphins.ie/

DUBLIN (AFP) - Irish scientists monitoring dolphins living in a river estuary in the southwest of the country believe they may have developed a unique dialect to communicate with each other, they said Monday.

The Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF) has been studying a group of up to 120 bottle-nose dolphins in the River Shannon using vocalisations collected on a computer in a cow shed near Carrigaholt, County Clare.

As part of a research project, student Ronan Hickey digitised and analysed a total of 1,882 whistles from the Irish dolphins and those from Cardigan Bay in Wales on a computer and separated them into six fundamental whistle types and 32 different categories.
Of the categories, he found most were used by both sets of dolphins -- but eight were only heard from the Irish dolphins.

"We are building up a catalogue of the different whistle types they use and trying to associate them with behaviour like foraging, resting, socialising and the communications of groups with calves," project leader Simon Berrow told AFP.

"Essentially we are building up what is like a dictionary of words they use or sounds they make."
Berrow, a marine biologist, said the dolphins' clicks are used to find their way around and locate prey. The whistles are communications.

"They do a whole range of other sounds like barks, groans and a kind of gunshot," he said.
"The gunshot is an intense pulse of sound. Sperm whales use it to stun their prey.
"When I first heard it I was surprised as I thought sperm whales were the only species who used it. We can speculate the dolphins are using it for the same reason as the sperm whales."
References in local legend indicate there have been dolphins in the Shannon
estuary for generations and they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century.

They are regularly seen by passengers on the Shannon ferry and an estimated 25,000 tourists take special sight-seeing tours on local boats to visit them.