A new study reveals that dolphins are particularly receptive to the high frequencies of certain instruments, such as the flute, the piccolo, and the Indian recorder.

Researchers at the Australian National University have teamed up with flautist Sally Walker to determine whether dolphins exhibit a natural curiosity for music.

They conducted the experiment in December in Port Stephens, New South Wales, and found that the marine mammals approached their oceanographic vessel within minutes of Walker starting to play.

“One dolphin glided directly underneath me at the same speed as the boat, and the rest of the pod danced around it,” she said.

Bach or Mariah Carey?

Dolphins are true experts in acoustics. They use sound production and reception to communicate, navigate, and detect predators and prey.

Their perception of the outside world comes from their high-frequency sonar, which is as powerful as the radar-like capabilities of bats.

However, the scientific community still knows little about how these creatures react and respond to music.

“Dolphins live in a world of sounds; they communicate with one another by sending a sound that is a hologram of information reflected in their melon – a mass of adipose tissue found in their forehead,” said biologist and dolphin expert Dr Olivia De Bergerac.

“So I know we, as humans, can communicate with dolphins through music,” she added.

The Australian researchers now want to see what type of sounds or music dolphins might be most receptive to.

They already know they are particularly attracted to high-pitched sounds, so now the biologists plan to install speakers underwater in a bid to discover their musical preferences – a Bach sonata or Mariah Carey’s vocals, for example?

It all remains to be determined but, for Walker, these animals could simply be attracted to seeing someone serenade them from the front of a boat.