Myth or Cry for Help: What Was Really Behind the "Gifts" from Dolphins During the Pandemic? (3 photos)

While humanity voluntarily confined itself to its four walls during the pandemic, an incredibly touching story began circulating on social media: supposedly, dolphins, bored with human attention, began bringing coral to the shore in hopes of luring us back. This story instantly went viral, becoming a symbol of the "loneliness" of wildlife during the quarantine era. However, if we put aside the romantic glamour and engage critical thinking, it becomes clear that these marine creatures hardly had a deep understanding that the world had come to a standstill due to a virus.

While dolphins are undoubtedly highly intelligent creatures, their habit of bringing coral fragments, sponges, or fish to the shore is either a form of play, a way to teach their offspring how to hunt, or a specific form of social interaction far removed from a yearning for tourists. Ultimately, this beautiful legend is merely a reflection of our own anthropocentrism: we wanted to believe that even in the ocean, someone was keenly aware of our absence, although, let's be honest, the marine inhabitants probably felt much better when the noise of engines and beach debris temporarily disappeared from their usual habitat.