description Billie Overview
Billie was a wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin that lived in the Port River estuary near Adelaide, South Australia. During a short period of rehabilitation at a marine park, she observed captive dolphins performing tail-walking and later reproduced the behavior after returning to the wild. Her case is used in discussions of social learning in cetaceans because it involved a novel behavior acquired outside the normal wild repertoire.
help Billie FAQ
Who was Billie the dolphin?
Billie was a wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin that lived in the Port River estuary near Adelaide, South Australia. She became known for copying tail-walking after seeing captive dolphins perform it.
How did Billie learn to tail-walk?
During a short rehabilitation period at a marine park, Billie observed captive dolphins tail-walking. After returning to the wild, she reproduced the behavior in the Port River estuary.
Did Billie remain in captivity?
No, Billie returned to the wild after her rehabilitation. Her later tail-walking made the case notable because the behavior was learned from captive dolphins and performed by a free-ranging dolphin.
What kind of dolphin was Billie?
She was an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin. Her habitat was the Port River estuary near Adelaide in South Australia.
explore Explore More
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
