A dog has been astonishing its owners with its remarkable ability to call dolphins to their boat – and “communicate” with them.
When Pearl emits a unique high-pitched whine, the dolphins invariably appear alongside Mark and Louise Parry’s vessel off the Gwynedd coast in North Wales. The seven-year-old black Patterdale terrier is said to have been attracting dolphins since she was just a puppy.
Her owners had previously kept her unusual talent under wraps due to embarrassment over her peculiar helium-like squeak. Setting sail from Pwllheli, Mark revealed that Pearl appears to sense the presence of dolphins in the water before calling out to them, North Wales Live reports.
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A study conducted in Australia discovered that dolphins respond to high-pitched musical instruments, and some diving guides are known to attract them by whistling.
“I can guarantee, 100%, that Pearl will locate dolphins within an hour of departing from Pwllheli,” declared Mark, 54, from St Helens, Merseyside. “Dolphin watchers and charter boats are constantly querying how we always manage to spot dolphins when they don’t. It’s mind-boggling.
“She seems to be aware of their presence before we even spot them – she dashes to the front of the boat, starts yelping and dolphins emerge at the bow. She perches at the front no more than 1ft away from them – they’re so close we could touch them if we wished. It’s almost as if she’s having a conversation with them.”
“I can’t believe she hears them in the water as the boat is quite noisy. To be honest, I’ve no idea how she does it. Or why she does it she just seems amazed by them, that’s all I can think.”
Dolphin communication is centred around sound and they have evolved a complex vocal repertoire of clicks and whistles. Research has shown that individual dolphins have a unique “signature whistle” and will respond to the whistles of dolphins they know.
In December 2021, researchers from the Australian National University recorded dolphin’s reactions to music via a hydrophone an underwater microphone on a boat off New South Wales. They discovered dolphins are attracted to high-pitched musical instruments such as the flute and piccolo.
High-pitched singing seemed to have the same effect.
Perhaps certain canine whines can now be added to the list. “She’s been doing it ever since she was a pup,” said Mark, a delivery driver at Jaguar Landrover, Halewood.
“I make fishing videos for my YouTube channel but I’ve always edited out the sound of her crying. It was embarassing – her cry is so high-pitched and I didn’t think anyone would want to listen to it. But in a recent clip I included her yelps and the online reaction was incredible.”
Mark and Louise, who take Pearl on cruises along the Llyn Peninsula, have discovered that their pooch’s dolphin-friendly whine is irresistible to the marine creatures.
“If we turn away, she keeps crying and the dolphins keep following us,” explained Mark. “She can keep it up for an hour or more. When it’s time to leave the dolphins alone, we have to put Pearl in the cab and pick up speed so they don’t keep following us.”
The video of Pearl and her dolphin friends has left viewers gobsmacked. Comments poured in with one woman exclaiming, “Omg, listen to the dog! ” Another was equally amazed, saying, “Oh my word, yes, yes, they are talking to your dog, how amazing is that? Like a crying noise really, but they’re listening. What a wonderful piece of nature.”
One viewer described the encounter as an “absolutely amazing interaction.”
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