What Are Dolphin Rings?

Dolphin rings are created when a dolphin blows air out of its blowhole and jerks its head upward quickly. The expelled air rises to the surface creating a ring of bubbles. The pressure of water increases in depth. The bottom of the bubble experiences a higher pressure than the top. When the force overcomes the surface tension of the sphere it generates a hole through the center of the bubble creating a silver ring of bubbles. As water rushes through the hole, a vortex forms around the bubble. With help from the dolphin's nose or fins bubbles can remain suspended for up to 10 seconds before moving upward.

  1. Juvenile Dolphins

    • Juvenile dolphins use these self-made rings to play socially or in solitude while mothers create rings for their young. Dolphins can generate a helix or coil of bubbles up to 20 feet long, remove a ring and play with it as the helix dissolves into tiny bubbles floating to the surface. Occasionally dolphins will create two rings to form a large ring and swim through the hole without disturbing the circle. During solitary play dolphins manipulate the bubble with their bodies and mouths or study the ring. Other times they use their rostrum (beak), pectoral fin or fluke (tail)and destroy the bubble or completely ignore it.

    Communication

    • Bubbles are used to communicate with other family or pod members. A single line of tiny bubbles are released during vocal communication. When frightened or surprised, large numbers of small bubbles are simultaneously released and during aggressive interaction large quantity of small bubbles are released, according to Brenda McCowan from the University of California, Davis and Six Flags Marine World.

    Perfect Bubble

    • After creating a perfect bubble ring two or more dolphins will generate a vortex around the bubble ring causing the ring to turn at a vertical angle or flip completely. Once bored a quick jerk of the dolphin's head or fin dissipates the ring into tiny bubbles.

    Generations

    • The dolphin's ring bubbles are similar to people blowing bubbles through a plastic stick and watch it float up into the sky or pop against objects on impact. It's an activity passed down from generations of dolphins much like humans carrying a plastic stick with a hole.