This is about males that form alliances during the breeding season and force females to mate. In such situations, they use aggressive behavior and distinctive vocal signals to keep the females nearby.
Each dolphin has a unique “signature whistle,” allowing the animals to recognize one another. Scientists tested whether females could use these signals to assess danger by playing recordings of male voices in a natural environment.
“Of the 34 experiments, in 88% of cases the dolphins reacted to the sound visually and almost instantly—on average, within 1.8 seconds of the whistle beginning,” the study states.
Observations showed that fertile females swam significantly farther away from the sound source if the signal belonged to a more aggressive male in the population. Moreover, this reaction was not based on personal experience but on the general “reputation” of that particular male.
Scientists note that such a system enables dolphins to use social information for self-protection and to reduce the risk of forced interactions within a complex social environment.
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