DOLPHINS are the only animals besides humans that give themselves names, a zoologist says.

They have figured out a way to say “this is me” by using unique signature whistles to reveal their identities to each other, believes Dr. Arik Kershenbaum.

He told the Instant Genius podcast: “When they grow up, they make themselves a whistle that is different from all the other dolphins' whistles.

“This will be a representation of their name.”

The University of Cambridge lecturer, who explores the phenomenon in his new book Why Animals Talk, said whistles let others know who is there – which is not surprising because dolphins live in fluid social networks.

Dr. Kershenbaum said these whistles are used to “announce their identity” and “let others know who is here.”

He said: “Again, that's not too surprising given the social network they live in.

“They need to know: who are you? Are you a member of my group? Are you someone I've worked with in the past?

“It is incredibly rare, in fact it is the only instance we know of in the animal world, outside of humans, where animals give themselves names.

“Here they are essentially creating their own vocal representation that they can use to say 'this is me'.”

Taylor Swift was ready for Travis Kelce and the first playoff game of the season for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Miami Dolphins.

Kelce, 34, enjoyed home field advantage for the Wild Card game, which took place at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, January 13. Swift arrived about an hour before kickoff wearing a puffer jacket designed by Kristin Juszczykthe wife of the San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The outerwear is inspired by Kelce's jersey, complete with his name and jersey number and the embroidered 'Chiefs Kingdom' on the waist. She completed the look with a white beanie.

Taylor Swift is here for #Chiefs-Dolphins pic.twitter.com/RYu7t802aJ

— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladdtv) January 14, 2024

Swift, 34, has been Kelce's biggest fan all season, although she missed his previous game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, January 7. She was in California – where the away game was being held – but had a scheduling conflict because of the Golden Globes, which she was attending because of her Eras tour concert film was nominated for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement (Barbie won the category). Kelce ended up sitting out the final game of the regular season, as the Chiefs had already clinched their spot in the playoffs.

Kelce couldn't be Swift's date to the awards show, but that didn't stop the Golden Globes host Jo Koy of making a joke at the couple's expense.

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“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? We have less camera footage of Taylor Swift at the Golden Globes. I swear,” joked Koy, 52. “There's just more to go.”

When the camera panned to Swift, she seemed visibly displeased with Koy's comment as she took a sip of her wine. Koy later addressed Swift's viral response to his comment.

“Aw man, it was cute. I just said it was cute,” Koy shared Entertainment tonight after the ceremony. “I just said it's less cutaways, that's all.”

Swift caused a frenzy when she first appeared at one of Kelce's games in September 2023, with some NFL fans criticizing the media attention surrounding her presence. Two months later, Swift shut down the haters.

Related: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship timeline

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are all anyone can talk about. Swift and Kelce were first linked in July 2023 when the Kansas City Chiefs tight end said he wanted to ask Swift out after attending her Eras Tour. 'I was a little disappointed that I couldn't give her one of the bracelets […]

“I don't know how they know which suite I'm in,” she said TIME in December 2023, adding that she had “no idea” when the cameras were on her. “I don't know if I'll be seen seventeen times or once.”

Swift emphasized that she was only interested in encouraging her friend. “I'm just here to support Travis,” she said. “I'm not sure if I'm showing too much and pissing off some dads, Brads and Chads.”

As Swift and Kelce continue to brush off any negativity that comes their way, an exclusive source says We weekly in December 2023 that the pair have had “many in-depth conversations about their future together,” adding that their relationship is “like nothing she's ever experienced before.”

However, they aren't running down the aisle yet. “Travis and Taylor have no plans to get engaged this summer,” the source said told exclusively Us on Friday, January 12. “Things are going great between them, but they haven't even been together a year and still have so much to learn about each other.”

By Victoria Bischoff for Sunday’s post

Published: 04:44 EST, January 12, 2024 | Updated: 04:44 EST, January 12, 2024

“Look, dolphins,” I whisper to my husband, Chris, as I excitedly point to a newly created wave more than 50 yards from our spot on the shore. We wondered why dozens of colorful fish had suddenly darted beneath the rocks we were standing on.

Two turtles that were floating lazily nearby moments earlier had also disappeared.

It’s barely 6:30 in the morning, but nature has already put on quite a show here at The Aquarium – a lagoon-like bay on Pine Cay in the heart of Turks and Caicos. The rising sun has turned the horizon a glorious shade of orange, and apart from the wind and waves, the world is silent.

Pine Cay is a remote private island, one of approximately 40 that make up the Turks and Caicos Islands. The tropical archipelago south of the Bahamas can now be reached by direct flights from Great Britain to Providenciales Airport.

At just under a mile wide and two miles long – about 800 hectares – even casual travelers to the Caribbean would have trouble pinpointing it on a map.

Remote Access: Victoria Bischoff visits the Pine Cay resort in Turks and Caicos. Upstairs is the resort’s swimming pool, which opens onto a private beach

There are fewer than 40 private homes on Pine Cay and only one recently updated 12-room resort – affectionately known as The Club by residents.

The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. A welcome sign greets the day’s arrivals by name and bids a sad farewell to those leaving. There is no dress code, bare feet are encouraged. And every evening at 6 p.m., homeowners and visitors gather at the beachside tiki bar to toast the sunset with a cocktail or three.

On our first evening we arrive to a lively discussion about the island’s famous green flash – a phenomenon you sometimes see at sunset and just miss it – with photos passed around as proof that it exists.

‘The rooms are light and airy – whitewashed walls, touches of sea blue decor and light wood furnishings,’ says Victoria of the Pine Cay resort

The resort is affectionately known as The Club by residents, Victoria reveals

Cars are not allowed. Instead, visitors stagger around the rocky paths in electric golf buggies. Single-use plastics have also been phased out and reusable water bottles are provided in every room.

The rooms are light and airy – whitewashed walls, touches of sea blue decor and light wood furnishings. There is also a private veranda with ocean views and an outdoor shower. Closer to the sea there are tiki beach huts with lounge chairs for each room. From there you have three kilometers of pristine white sand to enjoy. For the energetic guests there are plenty of gentle water sports. All you have to do is go to reception and ask for Sherwyn, who has lived on the island for almost twenty years and knows it better than anyone.

Soon we’ll be kayaking around the Aquarium and surrounding mangroves, where a stingray will race past our boats and we’ll spy cranes.

Next up is paddle boarding and a sailing outing – all the while looking for the dolphin family that patrols the island: JoJo, his girlfriend and a playful baby who likes to turn around for swimmers to pet.

Pine Cay is just under a mile wide and two miles long and covers approximately 800 acres

Above you see one of the dolphins that call the area home

Given the island’s location on the edge of the third largest barrier reef in the world, snorkeling is also a must. And we spend hours searching for the star-stamped shells called sand dollars that we’re sure bring good luck.

Perhaps the best moment is the firefly cruise at dusk. This 15-minute underwater light show – which is actually a brutal mating ritual – can only be seen in a handful of places on the planet. With the stars above and a rum punch in hand, the experience is otherworldly. But it only happens once a month, five nights after the full moon, so you need to plan your visit carefully.

All meals are served outdoors by the freshwater pool (no swimming allowed during meals). A highlight is the Caribbean evening, with spicy conch fritters, croaker fillet in pumpkin sauce and grilled pineapple. The staff is attentive but not intrusive. And nothing is too much trouble, whether it’s a candlelit dinner on the beach, a picnic lunch on a secluded beach or a pampering session at the hotel spa.

With no busy cities to visit and little entertainment – ​​apart from an outdoor projector screen near the runway if you fancy a movie night – we spend the evenings stretched out on sun loungers, sipping bottles of our favorite local lager I-Soon Reach and look at the sky for shooting stars.

TRAVEL FACTS

Cazenove+Loyd offers an eight-night trip to Pine Cay from £9,380pp, including all meals and flights. Includes fitness center access, tennis courts, cycling, non-motorized water sports, daily afternoon tea, and daily snorkeling trips (cazloyd.com).

Such signals can help the dolphins find prey hiding on the seabed. Bottlenose dolphins engage in so-called crater feeding, says Denise Herzing, a marine mammal expert with the Wild Dolphin Project in Florida, who was not involved in the study. “They dig,” she said. “They stick their beaks into the sand, almost up to the eyeballs, and pull the eels out.” Sand can make it harder for dolphins to detect buried fish via echolocation, she said.

Other researchers urge caution. The study used two dolphins, and “we don’t know if this ability is actually used in the wild,” said Juliana López-Marulanda, a marine biologist at the University of Paris Nanterre.

Dolphins can also use electrosensitivity to navigate. Dr. López-Marulanda and others have observed that dolphins can sense magnetic fields. Because they have bits of magnetic material in their bodies, the electrical sense can allow them to sense changes in the Earth’s magnetic field and use something like a magnetic map.

Dr. Dehnhardt wonders whether electrosensors can explain the mass strandings of healthy whales and dolphins. Researchers have noted on the left between shifts in the magnetic field, such as during solar storms, and mass strandings. “This may explain for the first time on a sensory basis how this actually happens,” he said. Such strandings don’t occur in baleen whales, which — unlike their toothed cousins ​​— use the whiskers they were born with all their lives, he noted.

A better understanding of dolphins’ senses could help protect the animals, Dr. López-Marulanda said. For example, when sharks’ electrosensitivity was discovered, some fishing fleets added electromagnetic devices to nets to keep sharks at bay. Perhaps something similar is possible with dolphins, although they are much less sensitive, she said.

For an animal that has received a lot of research attention, discovering a new sense is exciting.

“Everything about this species has been worked on,” said Dr. Dehnhardt. “And there is still something new we can discover.”