Is it wrong to eat dolphins?

**Helm** · November 17, 2009, 03:16 PM

Say they were hunted within a sustainable limit. I personally would tend to say it is wrong as they're somewhat intelligent animals, but open it's to debate.

**Thanatos** · November 17, 2009, 03:17 PM

Is dolphin meat any good? I'm curious now.

**~~Arch-hereticK~~** · November 17, 2009, 03:19 PM

Yes Dolphin steaks are delicious.

**Sir Winston Churchill** · November 17, 2009, 03:25 PM

Is it made out of meat? Yes? Then no, it's not wrong to eat dolphins.

**Helm** · November 17, 2009, 03:25 PM

The main problem I would have with eating dolphin meat is this.

Not that I'm claiming dolphins to be equal to humans in terms of sentience, but I suspect they're pretty damn close. You see captive Orangutans can be taught to communicate via ASL to the same level as a 3 year old human child.

**Maca** · November 17, 2009, 03:38 PM

It's not wrong, I just probobly wouldn't.

Looking at the above picture, are you saying that the bigger the brain, the more intelligent the animal?
Because in the past (long past) humans had bigger brains, but you wouldn't say that we are dumber as a race than back then, would you?

**Banana Jelly** · November 17, 2009, 03:41 PM

I think someone in my family once ate whale meat.

**Helm** · November 17, 2009, 03:42 PM

You have to take body size into account, dolphins being larger than humans will have a proportionally smaller brain. Human brains may be something like 20% larger but a human brain is 300% (or 150% something along those lines) and we have a brain 8 times the size of a cow.

**GuineaPig** · November 17, 2009, 03:47 PM

Dolphin is delicious.

**Maca** · November 17, 2009, 03:52 PM

Is a animal's intelligence measured by the size of their brain in proportion to their bodies? I don't think so, but I could be wrong.

**Helm** · November 17, 2009, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Maca

Is a animal's intelligence measured by the size of their brain in proportion to their bodies? I don't think so, but I could be wrong.

It is a pretty good indicator though, humans are more intelligent than all other animal and we also happen to have the largest brain size relative to body size, other intelligent animals such as the great apes and elephants also have proportionally larger brains. Dolphins have a sophisticated sonic communication system including distinct call signatures for each other I believe, much like we have names.

**Playfishpaste** · November 17, 2009, 04:05 PM

No it is absolutely not wrong to eat dolphins.

What's with all of these animal rights threads? No offense but I don't think if you change the title from "Is it wrong to eat dogs" to "Is it wrong to eat dolphins" you're going to get any difference in opinions.

**Maca** · November 17, 2009, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by Helm

It is a pretty good indicator though, humans are more intelligent than all other animal and we also happen to have the largest brain size relative to body size, other intelligent animals such as the great apes and elephants also have proportionally larger brains. Dolphins have a sophisticated sonic communication system including distinct call signatures for each other I believe, much like we have names.

You make a good point. But does intelligence mean it is less "right" to eat them? You say yes, I say no, just opinion in the end.