Remember when people used to lick toads to get high? Well, apparently dolphins have found their own version of this—using puffer fish instead. The puffer fish has a highly dangerous toxin inside of it, and when consumed by humans can be fatal. This is why it takes many years before a master sushi chef in Japan is allowed to serve puffer fish at restaurants—they must be 100% capable of removing all toxins. Dolphins, unfortunately, don’t have poison removal masters of their own. But, they have figured out another magical use for this goofy looking blob.
Scenes from a new BBC documentary—not yet released—reveal dolphins chewing and tossing around puffer fish. After toying around with the poisonous fish for awhile, they are seen bobbing near the surface of the water, apparently amazed by their own reflections. Yes, it appears dolphins are purposely getting stoned. According to The Independent,
“Though large doses of the toxin can be deadly, in small amounts it is known to produce a narcotic effect, and the dolphins appeared to have worked out how to make the fish release just the right amount.”
These druggy dolphins were caught by special agent “spy” turtles. These fake turtles, equipped with stealth cameras, were sent in to record pods of dolphins in their natural habitats. I know this entire post sounds like something out of The Onion, but I assure you this actually happened. Now that we know dolphins use drugs, does this make them more intelligent creatures than previously thought?
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