Just like humans, dolphins have their skincare routine too!
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins have been seen lining up to rub themselves against the corals in the Northern sea, off the coast of Egypt. Apparently, these corals have medicinal properties that treat the dolphins' skin conditions.
This dolphin phenomenon was spotted way back in 2009. Ever since that year, researchers have been spending time and effort to continuously observe and learn about the behavior. Scientifically speaking, the mucus that is being released by corals and sponges regulate the dolphins' microbiome and treats their infections. Being the smart animals that they are, these dolphins probably know what these corals can do to their skin which is why they know the exact corals that they should rub their bodies on.
Image credit: Angela Ziltener
#Dolphins #Corals #UnderwaterLife #Research #IndoPacificBottlenoseDolphins