"Speaking Dolphinese" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of Wild Kratts, originally airing on PBS Kids on February 5, 2013.[1] Overall, it is the 53rd episode of the series. The episode was written and directed by Chris Kratt. On January 22, 2013, "Speaking Dolphinese" was first released on DVD as part of Wild Kratts: Lost at Sea,[2] and on the day before that, "Speaking Dolphinese", along with "Blowfish Blowout", premiered in a Wild Kratts special of the same name.[3]
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" the clicks, whistles, and body movements of the dolphins. Afterwards, 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 contains recordings of dolphin sounds. The Wild Kratts are all exited 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.
While swimming with the dolphin pod, Aviva sends the Kratt brothers Dolphin Discs, and they activate their Creature Power Suits. The Kratt brothers plan to join them in hunting mullet fish, when Click bites 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. The dolphins then round them up to the surface, where they begin to feast on the fish.
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 out 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. Aviva calls Chris and tells him to find a way to get the dolphin pod to save Whistle and Martin.
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 noses to poke 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' clicks, whistles, and body movements underwater. Afterwards, the Kratt brothers conclude the episode by saying "Keep on creature adventuring; we'll see you on the creature trail!"
Characters
Humans
Liveaction
- Kel
Animals
Key facts and Creature Moments
- The whistles and clicks 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.
Trivia
- This is the first time Aviva and Koki drive the Amphi-Sub.
- The Tortuga isn't shown in this episode.
- Martin can speak spanish.
- This episode shows that Martin and Chris are from New Jersey.
Errors
- The dolphins have longer upper jaws like most cartoon dolphins, but real dolphins have longer lower jaws. Since the Dolphin Power Suits have longer lower jaws, they are more accurate to real life dolphins.
Watch Episode
Gallery
References
- ↑ "Wild Kratts - Speaking Dolphinese." KET. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Wild Kratts: Lost at Sea." Amazon.com. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ↑ "PBS Kids Premieres WILD KRATTS “Lost at Sea”." PBS News. PBS. Retrieved February 13, 2015.