Research Hub
What the science actually says.
Dolphins Intuition tracks the frontier of cetacean communication research — AI models, acoustic analysis, cognition studies, and the scientists doing the real work. Updated continuously.
Our line: interaction and exchange, not translation. Everything here is held to that standard.
Research Briefs
Updated fortnightlyDolphinGemma: What the Model Actually Does
Google DeepMind released DolphinGemma in April 2025 — a language model trained on 40+ years of Wild Dolphin Project recordings. It classifies vocalisation types and predicts what sound comes next. It does not translate dolphin language. Here is exactly what it can and cannot do, and why the distinction matters.
Signature Whistles: The Evidence for Dolphin Names
Dolphins develop unique signature whistles in the first year of life and retain them for decades. Other dolphins copy these whistles to address specific individuals — the only non-human animals known to use learned, individually-specific calls in this way. The Bruck (2013) 20-year memory study is the most striking evidence. Here is what it proves, and what it does not.
Mirror Self-Recognition: What It Does and Does Not Prove
Reiss & Marino (2001) showed two bottlenose dolphins recognising themselves in a mirror — only the fourth species confirmed to do so at the time. This is genuinely significant evidence of self-awareness. It is not evidence of language, sentience, or communication complexity. Here is the precise claim the study makes and how it fits into the broader picture.
Key Papers
Peer-reviewed onlyModel · 2025
DolphinGemma: A Language Model for Dolphin Communication
Google DeepMind & Wild Dolphin Project · 2025
The first large language model trained specifically on cetacean vocalisations. Classifies sound types and predicts acoustic sequences. Trained on 40+ years of annotated recordings.
Paper · 2006
Bottlenose dolphin signature whistles: understanding individual recognition
Janik, V.M. et al. · 2006
Definitive playback study establishing that dolphins respond specifically to their own signature whistle — the mechanism behind what functions as a name.
Paper · 2013
Bottlenose dolphins remember the signature whistles of old friends after 20+ years
Bruck, J.N. · 2013
The 20-year social memory study. Dolphins responded to the signature whistles of former companions after two decades of separation — the longest social memory ever demonstrated in a non-human animal.
Paper · 2001
Mirror self-recognition in the bottlenose dolphin
Reiss, D. & Marino, L. · 2001
Confirmed dolphins pass the mirror test — fourth species after humans, great apes, and elephants. Direct evidence of self-awareness.
Paper · 1984
Comprehension of sentences by bottlenosed dolphins
Herman, L.M., Richards, D.G. & Wolz, J.P. · 1984
Classic artificial grammar study. Dolphins Akeakamai and Phoenix comprehended an artificial language with grammatical rules — evidence of syntax sensitivity.
Paper · 2013
Social learning of a novel foraging skill by wild bottlenose dolphins
Mann, J. & Patterson, E.M. · 2013
Sponge-carrying behaviour in Shark Bay dolphins transmitted mother-to-offspring — a clear case of cultural transmission in the wild.
Scientists to Know
Active researchersDr. Denise Herzing
Wild Dolphin Project
40+ years studying free-ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins in the Bahamas. Creator of the CHAT device — first two-way acoustic exchange with wild dolphins (2013).
Dr. Diana Reiss
Hunter College, CUNY
Mirror self-recognition pioneer. Advocate for dolphin personhood. Research spans vocalisation, cognition, and human-dolphin interaction.
Dr. Vincent Janik
University of St Andrews
Leading authority on signature whistle function, vocal learning in marine mammals, and acoustic communication across species.
Dr. Jason Bruck
Stephen F. Austin State University
Author of the landmark 20-year social memory study. Research focuses on dolphin individuality, memory, and acoustic recognition.
Dr. David Gruber
CETI / CUNY
Co-founder of Project CETI — applying ML and transformer models to sperm whale coda communication. The most advanced AI + cetacean project running.
Dr. Louis Herman
University of Hawaii (legacy)
Pioneered artificial language studies with dolphins Akeakamai and Phoenix. Definitive evidence of syntax comprehension in cetaceans.
Data & Datasets
Open accessDataset · Open Access
Wild Dolphin Project — Acoustic Archive
40+ years of underwater recordings of Atlantic spotted dolphins in the Bahamas. The dataset used to train DolphinGemma.
Dataset · Open Access
Macaulay Library — Marine Mammal Acoustics
Cornell Lab of Ornithology's archive. Largest audio and video archive of wildlife in the world. Includes extensive cetacean recordings.
Model · Open Access
DolphinGemma on HuggingFace
Google DeepMind's open-weight model for cetacean vocalisation classification and acoustic prediction.
Project · Active
Project CETI — Sperm Whale Coda Research
Applying ML, transformers, and non-invasive bio-logging to decode sperm whale communication at scale. Most advanced AI + cetacean project running.
Dataset · Open Access
MBARI — Monterey Bay Hydrophone Archive
Deep-sea hydrophone array off Monterey Bay. Continuous recordings available for research use. Captures dolphin and whale vocalisations in open ocean.
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