A new discovery has just been made about dolphins which states that they get recreationally high by using pufferfish. The act of the dolphins seeking out the pufferfish, catching them in their mouths and swimming around with them is what causes the high, due to the neurotoxic chemical that pufferfish release as they balloon up when they feel that they are in trouble. Although ordinarily, the chemical can kill, in the small doses that are absorbed by the dolphins, it simply gives them a high, according to recent reports.
The specific chemical is said to produce an effect similar to narcotics, although the dolphins have cleverly mastered the way to obtain the perfect amount of it, which means that they feel the high without suffering any of the negative damage. The subject was recently explored, and filmed, in a BBC One show that was created by the award-winning wildlife documentary producer John Downer. The stunning images that were captured depict the dolphins on a high and absolutely loving it, as well as how the dolphins seem to release the pufferfish after they have obtained the right amount of the chemical from them.
Rob Pilley, a zoologist working as a producer on the show, explained exactly what he interpreted happening. He said, “this was a case of young dolphins purposely experimenting with something we know to be intoxicating. After chewing the puffer gently and passing it round, they began acting most peculiarly, hanging around with their noses at the surface as if fascinated by their own reflection. It reminded us of that craze a few years ago when people started licking toads to get a buzz, especially the way they hung there in a daze afterward. It was the most extraordinary thing to see.”
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