http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 3:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/"Just goes to show you how realistic those Pleos are."

Not really, more how clever & humanly dolphins are]]>May 10th 2008 11:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 12:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 12:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 10th 2008 10:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 2:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
I must admit that at this point I'd already be figuring out how to get 50 Pleos in there to get THAT reaction. Even better, drop them in the pool.]]>May 9th 2008 11:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 1:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/]]>May 9th 2008 11:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 11:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
Read the link. It was completely staged by a needy Pleo owner looking for YouTube hits.

]]>May 9th 2008 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 15th 2008 7:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 12:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 12:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
haha i second that rob. ]]>May 9th 2008 12:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
The Pleo owner (who seems pretty needy and kind of sad as she goes around from aquarium to aquarium trying to get attention with her toy) tried to get the dolphins' attention for 15 minutes with no luck, finally went to a dolphin trainer, who then told all the the other visitors to step away as they do an 'interaction'. The trainer then banged on the glass to get the dolphins attention, and pointed out the Pleo multiple times.

Surprise surprise... the dolphins came over and looked at what their trainer told them to.

How the hell is this impressive? I'd much prefer a story about an orca killing a shark that was trying to attack a human.

Or maybe those sea otters holding hands. That was cute too, but at least it wasn't as manufactured as a Steven Spielberg movie, complete with treacly music.
]]>May 9th 2008 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 1:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
In the same way you're a sucker, I guess.

If you DID read the original 'blog' (hosted by the company that MAKES the Pleo) you'd see everything I said about HOW the video was made was accurate.

I was actually interested in the video, but when I read the machinations the 'blogger' went through, it came across as a manufactured publicity stunt. It's not just 'what they recorded' as you say, but the video on YouTube is portrayed as a spontaneous moment (with added music).

But hey, if you want to believe it's a magical moment between a 2 year old, some dolphins, and a Pleo, have at 'er.

Who am I to spoil manufactured realtiy?... oh wait... :D
]]>May 9th 2008 2:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 12:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/They can see with sound waves (echo's) and see also with their eyes.

The following two things happen:
1. Their eyes tell them it's a little creature.
2. The sound they produce passes through objects and persons and by the reflected waves they can make out a pattern of the inside of this robot and it does not look like anything they have seen at all. Living things give a totally different pattern than this (for them) strange thing.

So this is more than just plain curiosity, Dolphins are actually way more sophisticated in seeing on multiple levels than we humans ... !!

]]>May 9th 2008 12:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 12:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 1:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 1:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 1:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
They were probably saying "where have you been? We've been looking for you for at least a few million years!"]]>May 9th 2008 2:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 3:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 3:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 4:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 5:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 5:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
Sorry for that.]]>May 9th 2008 6:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
She loved Pixie, and then grabs 3 more trainers, tells them what I want to do and Pixie and I got a special escort into the viewing area. They surrounded me and yelled at the visitors, "I need everyone to step back! We are going to conduct a dolphin interaction!"

One of the trainers slapped the window and once a dolphin came over she pointed to Pleo a few times. Once the dolphin indicated it saw it and came down to Pleo's level, she blew her whistle. They can hear the whistle through the thick glass. And blowing the whistle told the dolphin, "Yes, that is what I wanted you to do! Good job!" From that point on, it was ALL the dolphins.]]>May 9th 2008 6:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
"oh, hey, that's weird, what is that thing?"
"Hey dude, what's that?" "I dunno, it's just sitting there"
"What're you guys do- What's that thing?" "Dunno"]]>May 10th 2008 5:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 7:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
For 15 minutes I tried to show the Pleo to the dolphins. There were probably 80-100 people packed into that little underwater viewing area and the animal caretakers on the surface were doing a demonstration of animal husbandry. So the dolphins could care less about the people there or Pleo. So I went topside and found one of the animal caretakers. She told me to ask Candie, a trainer across the other side of the pool. I ran over there, I talked to her and showed her Pleo. I explained I go around to theme parks with my Pleo and take video slideshows and scrapbooks and share them with others. And I wanted to see what dolphins might think of Pleo, since I know they react positively to other animals such as dogs. She loved Pleo, called three other trainers and they escorted me back down there. Candie made an announcement, "I need everyone to step back! We are doing an interaction with the dolphins!", everyone moved off and the trainers made a semi circle around me and Pleo and I placed Pleo down.
The trainer slapped the glass. Now the reason why visitors can slap the glass and not get their attention is because they don't have a SeaWorld uniform. The dolphins recognize them and usually only react to them. So one dolphin came over and Candy pointed at Pleo. The dolphin lowered down to look at it and she blew her whistle. The dolphin got not treat for that. Just a whistle. The whistle was to tell the dolphin, "yes, that is what I wanted you to do". That was ALL it did. From that moment on, the dolphins ran the show and decided if they wanted to stick around or move on. Initially, we had as many as 8 dolphins scrambling and shoving their way to see Pleo. Eventually, all of them left to get fish from visitors (as this was part of the feeding area, Dolphin Cove). But two stuck around. One was named Starky. I forget the other one's name. They took turns looking at it. Eventually the trainers told me they had to leave, about 6 minutes into it, I shut off the camera, and I picked up Pleo. Starky followed Pleo in my arms and I lifted Pleo against the glass and started filming again. Once Starky swam away, I left with the trainers. They were very excited over the interaction and said they want to get a Pleo at Sea World for the dolphins.

I did not make or post the video for post counts.
I made it because I was curious
I posted it because I was amazed and wanted to share.
And frankly the post count has me a bit scared, as I have videos with copyrighted movies/music and have already been banned from YT once and all this attention on this one video puts me at risk to get banned again. So its a double edged sword. I am happy so many others enjoy it, but the accusation I am looking for attention is pathetic to say the least. I already made a 3rd YT account ready and waiting for when YT bans me for the other videos I have. So this Pleo video is gonna hurt me more than anything, but I guess its a good kinda hurt.

But these accusations that its a publicity stunt and I am some sort of numbers fanatic is ignorant to say the least.

The trainers did tell me their reaction to Pleo was similar to how they react to dogs when they see them for the first time. Sea World dolphins see dogs frequently. Their Pet's Ahoy show is in Sea World and the trainers of that show often take the dogs for their walk by the dolphin tank so the dolphins and dogs can interact through the glass. Similar to how they acted to Pleo.

I had to laugh at the idea it was Photoshoped or fake in any way. ]]>May 9th 2008 8:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 9th 2008 9:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/
Spur of the moment idea? I doubt it.
Clever marketing of a toy? Most likely.]]>May 10th 2008 5:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/May 10th 2008 5:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/pleo-communes-with-nature-woos-dolphins/]]>May 10th 2008 8:37PM