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"Speaking Dolphinese" is the 13th episode of Season 2 of the PBS Kids show Wild Kratts. It is the 53rd episode of the series overall. It premiered on February 5, 2013. On January 22, 2013, "Speaking Dolphinese" was first released on DVD as part of Wild Kratts: Lost at Sea, and on the day before that, "Speaking Dolphinese", along with "Blowfish Blowout", premiered in a Wild Kratts special of the same name.
Synopsis[]
In this episode, when Aviva unveils her latest invention, the Dolphin Decoder, the Wild Kratts go on a mission to crack the language-code of bottlenose dolphins. After learning a few "whistles" and "clicks", one young dolphin gets itself trapped in a shipwreck and cornered by a great white shark. To rescue the dolphin and scare away the shark, the Wild Kratts apply what they have learned from speaking "Dolphinese".
Plot[]
The episode begins with a live action segment. The Kratt brothers dive down into the waters of the Caribbean Sea to get a close look at spotted dolphins. They then hear and observe the clicks, whistles, and body movements of the dolphins. Afterward, they ask their "What if?" question, and the show transitions into the cartoon segment.
In the waters of the Caribbean Sea on a research boat, Aviva unveils her newest invention: the Dolphin Decoder – a device that records and plays dolphin sounds. The Wild Kratts are all excited to adventure with dolphins, and subsequently, a pod of dolphins leap out of the water near them. The Kratt brothers head down in their Manta Riders, and Jimmy dispatches the Amphi-Sub with Koki and Aviva inside.
While traveling in the dolphin pod, two dolphins, both four-year-olds, decide to swim with them instead of with the rest of the pod. Chris tries out a sound on them, and the two dolphins take them for a fast-paced ride. The Wild Kratts assume that the meaning of the sound is a simple "let's play". Martin names the two dolphins Whistle and Click, but not before finding out that they already have their own names – in the form of whistles and clicks, that is. As Martin tries picking another command, Whistle enters a shipwreck. A great white shark corners Whistle, forcing him to hide inside.
Meanwhile, Aviva sends the Kratt brothers Bottlenose Dolphin Discs, and they activate their Creature Power Suits. The Kratt brothers plan to join them in hunting mullet fish, when Click tugs on Martin's tail and expresses worry and distress about Whistle. Martin follows Click to investigate, while Chris joins the hunting dolphins. First, the dolphins surround the mullet fish to form a bait ball. The dolphins then round them up to the surface, where they begin to feast on the fish jumping out of the water.
Martin and Click arrive at the shipwreck where Whistle is hiding in. The shark chases after Martin and bites the Dolphin Disc out of its slot, causing Martin to deactivate, and he hides in the shipwreck with Whistle. Click swims away. Martin tries to communicate with the rest of the team by holding his Creature Pod outside the shipwreck, but the shark threatens him and his Creature Pod falls into a nearby trench. Whistle sends out a distress call that is soon picked up by the Amphi-Sub. Aviva and Koki attempt to save Martin and Whistle, but the shark forces them to retreat. And to make matters worse, both Martin and Whistle are running out of air and in danger of drowning.
Aviva calls Chris and tells him to find a way to get the dolphin pod to help save Whistle and Martin. Chris explains his doubts about being unsuccessful in rallying the pod. But, Aviva believes he can do it because he has been able to understand "Dolphinese" the best and implores him to try. So after figuring out the right sounds to make, Chris manages to get the pod's attention.
Martin and Whistle decide to swim to the surface to get some air. The Amphi-Sub makes an attempt to distract the shark. The shark responds by biting off the Amphi-Sub's engine, causing it to crash near the edge of an undersea cliff. Chris arrives and the dolphins use their snouts to jab and scare away the shark, allowing Martin and the dolphin to safely come up for air. Then the Amphi-Sub falls off the cliff. To save them, Chris tells the dolphins in whistles and clicks, "Let's eat." They round up a school of fish, and with their feeding habits, they lift the Amphi-Sub up to the surface. The Wild Kratts then summarize what they have found out from speaking "Dolphinese", and at the end, Chris gets Koki and Aviva to play a sound – "Let's play" – and Click and Whistle take them on a wild ride.
The show transitions into the concluding live-action segment. The Kratt brothers introduce a member of an organization called the Dolphin Communication Project, Kel, and the three observe the dolphins's clicks, whistles, and body movements underwater. Afterward, the Kratt brothers conclude the episode by saying "Keep on creature adventuring; we'll see you on the creature trail!"
Characters[]
Animals[]
Animation[]
Note: Featured animals are in bold.
- Bottlenose Dolphin: Whistle, Click
- Great White Shark
- Flathead Grey Mullet (called mullet fish)
- Conical Sponge (called sea sponge)
- Sand Perch (called fish)
Mentioned[]
Note: Mentioned animals are linked to Wikipedia.
Live Action[]
Note: Live action animals are linked to Wikipedia.
- Atlantic spotted dolphin (called spotted dolphin)
Trivia[]
- This is the first time Aviva and Koki drive the Amphi-Sub.
- The Tortuga isn't shown in this episode.
- Spanish is Aviva's second language.
- Martin can speak Spanish.
- This episode hints that Martin and Chris are from New Jersey, just like their live action counterparts. This is later confirmed in the episode "Blue Heron".
Key Facts and Creature Moments[]
- The whistles and clicks that dolphins make are produced by vibrations near their blowhole.
- The clicks and whistles of dolphins play a role when they are hunting and defending. They are also used to recognize one from another.
- Dolphins hunting shoals of fish by herding them to the surface in a tight ball to make it easier to catch them.
- Dolphins stay in groups called pods to defend themselves from predators like sharks.