Book 6, Question 58
Why Do Dolphins Ride a Boat's Wave?
A moving boat pushes up a bulge of water at the front, called the bow wave. A dolphin can surf that moving slope, and keep up with almost no extra work. It is just like a surfer riding a wave!
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 6
More fun facts
- Riding the pressure wave at the front of a boat is called bow-riding.
- Dolphins may ride the waves at the front of ships for long stretches of time.
- Scientists used flying drones to film dusky dolphins bow-riding off New Zealand.
- Bow-riding dolphins breathed 45 percent less often than free-swimming dolphins at high speeds, a sign they were saving energy.
- Scientists had wondered whether bow-riding was just fun or a way to save energy.
- A dolphin's tail pushes it forward on both the up stroke and the down stroke.
Sources: nature.com, NOAA, National Geographic
Questions kids ask
Why do dolphins swim in front of boats?
It may be fun, and a study found it also helps them save energy.