Bully Bottlenose Dolphins | Wild Caribbean | BBC Earth

On the northern fringes of the Caribbean, stretching out into the Atlantic, are 700 low-lying islands sitting on a vast limestone shelf, known as the Bahama Banks. The Bahamas were named by the Spanish, Baja Ma means shallow sea. These waters offer good visibility and protection from danger, ideal for some of the Caribbean's most intelligent animals, spotted dolphins. They cruise the banks in family groups, keeping in touch with a wide range of whistles and squawks. The baby of this group is around three months old. He's not yet got his spots. He'll shadow his mother for his first three years, learning the ins and outs of dolphin life. For now, she reassures him with constant caresses from her fin. Within the group, this kind of body language helps to reinforce relationships and keep the peace. But there's trouble in paradise. Large bottlenose dolphins also live here. Male bottlenose are much more aggressive than their spotted neighbors, charging and biting rivals. Although the different species often socialize, sometimes the bottlenose throw their weight around. Bullying often has a sexual edge. Male bottlenose try to mate with spotted females and harass young males. But spotteds join forces to ward them off, often calling on neighboring groups to help. The bully tries to stand his ground, but outnumbered, he soon turns tail. While spotted dolphins leave the banks to feed in deeper water, bottlenose fish the shallows. These empty shallows may not seem a hunter's paradise, but you just need the right detection kit. A dolphin uses echolocation to see through the sand. He produces between 20 and 1,000 clicks a second, speeding up as he homes in on hidden prey. Once he pinpoints buried treasure, all he has to do is dig it out. Using his body weight, he nosedives up to a meter beneath the sand, until he finally pulls out his prize, a razorfish.