Dolphins are some of the most incredibly fascinating animals the animal kingdom has to offer. They have beautiful smiles, call each other by name, and have distinct personalities. Dolphins are unlike many other animals in that they also have complex social structures, and participate in inter-species cooperation.

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Scientists are currently working on ways to translate dolphin language so that we can better understand what these amazing creatures are saying. “So long and thanks for all the fish”  perchance?  Although Dr. Justin Gregg argues in his new book,  Are Dolphins Really Smart?,  that dolphins aren’t uniquely intelligent, I think that his debunkery just gives dolphins all the more to smile about.  Why?  Because India, Costa Rica, Hungary, and Chili have recognized them as non-human persons. If other species share dolphins’ intelligence, perhaps now that recognition will spread to them as well.

Learn more about the movement for person-hood rights for cetaceans and other animals in Germ Magazine‘s special issue of Love Animals:  Dolphins are People Too. Really.