Dolphin’s echolocation signals in a complicated acoustic environment

Echolocation abilities of a dolphin (Tursiops truncatus ponticus) were investigated in laboratory conditions. The experiment was carried out in an open cage using an acoustic control over the behavior of the animal detecting underwater objects in a complicated acoustic environment. Targets of different strength were used as test objects. The dolphin was found to be able to detect objects at distances exceeding 650 m. For the target location, the dolphin used both single-pulse and multipulse echolocation modes. Time characteristics of echolocation pulses and time sequences of pulses as functions of the distance to the target were obtained.