Dolphin Air Rings - Awesome Playtime


This video is of dolphins playing with silver colored rings which they have the ability to make under water to play with. It isn't known how they learn this, or if it's an inbred ability. As if by magic the dolphin does a quick flip of its head and a silver ring appears in front of its pointed beak. The ring is a solid, donut shaped bubble about 2-ft across, yet it doesn't rise to the surface of the water! It stands upright in the water like a magic doorway to an unseen dimension. The dolphin then pulls a s mall silver donut from the larger one. Looking at the twisting ring for one last time a bite is taken from it, causing the small ring to collapse into a thousands of tiny bubbles which head upward towards the water's surface. A fter a few moments the dolphin creates another ring to play with. There also seems to be a separate mechanism for producing small rings, which a dolphin can accomplish by a quick flip of its head. An explanation of how dolphins make these silver rings is that they are 'air-core vortex rings'. Invisible, spinning vortices in the water are generated from the tip of a dolphin's dorsal fin when it is moving rapidly and turning. When dolphins break the line, the ends are drawn together into a closed ring. The higher velocity fluid around the core of the vortex is at a lower pressure than the fluid c irculating farther away. A ir is injected into the rings via bubbles released from the dolphin's blowhole. The energy of the water vortex is enough to keep the bubbles from rising for a reasonably few seconds of play time. A ll this time we just thought the Dolphins were just swimming but it appears they were playing.

Submitted by David Andrews.

Click Here for the Video (2.2MB)

Personal Notes:
I have seen Divers make air rings before. I have been somewhat successful, but mostly not very good at it. They say if you can make smoke rings, you can make air rings. I first saw this done in 1978 when I made a High School Graduation Trip with my brother David to Andros Island in the Bahamas. The Dive Master there was able to make really nice rings from a depth of around 100 feet. As the rings ascended to the surface they grew to a diameter of probably 20-30 feet. It was awesome. Give it a try. It takes some practice, but it can be done.

These Dolphins are obviously even better at it as they can make it move horizontally and hit it to make new smaller rings.

Incredible Video in my opinion.