from the so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-fish dept.
Move over, indoor birthing tub. This woman wants to deliver in the Pacific Ocean with dolphins as midwives.
The quest for natural childbirth has been taken to a new level. Dorina Rosin and her husband Maika Suneagle have made headlines for their decision to give birth in the ocean surrounded by dolphins. The couple lives on the big island of Hawaii, where they run a spiritual healing center.
Dorina, who is nearing the end of her pregnancy, recently took part in a dolphin blessing ceremony. In a video posted on YouTube, she swims with a snorkel and flippers, her 38-week pregnant belly visible in the water. Her partner twists and dances with a dolphin, while Dorina swims alongside another.
There have been many documented cases of dolphins helping humans. Dolphin-assisted birth is a more recent phenomenon. The Sirius Institute in Hawaii claims dolphin-assisted birth can benefit the babies: "Children born in the water with the dolphins develop 6 months faster over their first six months, have perhaps 150 grams more brain weight and are ambidextrous."
(Score: 5, Informative) by Jerry Smith on Saturday September 05 2015, @08:52AM
So I did a bit of reading on their website. And I sincerely wonder how this EVER could have passed the submission filter.
The benefits of both these enterprises are obvious and multiple. We will learn from the cetacea true knowledge of our origin and history and forge an alliance with the largest minds on Earth. By emulating the cetacea we can have harmonious societies and happy children. By learning their ways of healing, we can restore those ill in body and heart. We will have harmonious music and co-species art leading to a rich multi-species culture. We will have telepathy and provable communication with beings that love us. This will end the "great loneliness" spoken of by Loren Eisley. Or begin "The Great Oneness", as Paradise would say.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:01AM
Wifey sounds crazy. She must be really really good in bed. So good hubby shot his load in that.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:04AM
How dare you insult a pregnant womyn! Release the killer whales. Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Saturday September 05 2015, @10:14AM
By learning their ways of healing, we can restore those ill in body and heart.
Darwinism it is!
We will have telepathy and provable communication with beings that love us.
you know, it's this kind of new age spiritual bullshit that makes people ignorant to the cruel and unyielding truth that is reality until it's too late.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @10:25AM
You know, a sufficiently prosperous society can tolerate a few new age cloud minders who just don't care to participate in your reality. Or would you like to admit that your unyielding cruelty is just not productive enough?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by zocalo on Saturday September 05 2015, @11:17AM
I get that Soylent has a broader story acceptance scope than "News for Nerds...", but it does seem like the scope seems to have got perhaps a bit *too* broad of late. When a good proportion of the comments are more about the submission of the story rather than the story itself, I think that's probably a pretty good indication that it's maybe time to reconsider what gets posted. Perhaps one of the editors would care to comment about what the current guidelines are...?
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Sunday September 06 2015, @03:16AM
There's a solution to that: Everyone, submit more articles!
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Phoenix666 on Saturday September 05 2015, @11:41AM
The story reminded me of that of Grizzly Man [wikipedia.org]. People project anthropomorphic cuteness onto wild animals and tragedy often results. I grew up in the Rockies and there were stories all the time about tourists being seriously wounded or killed when they sidled up to "cute" wild animals like deer, elk, moose, or bison. I've even heard of people having to get stitches after trying to cuddle beavers and chipmunks.
Dolphins too are wild animals. They are not our friends, we should not try to pet them. Having a baby next to them in the open ocean sounds like an excellent way to attract sharks or other predators or incite the dolphins to attack.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Saturday September 05 2015, @06:50PM
Dolphins too are wild animals. They are not our friends, we should not try to pet them. Having a baby next to them in the open ocean sounds like an excellent way to attract sharks or other predators or incite the dolphins to attack.
Not only that, they are big animals, a lot bigger than people realize. I can't imagine allowing a baby near one of the things, even if they are being entirely peaceful. A sudden awkward movement, a swipe of the tail and a tragedy results.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @08:19PM
> Dolphins too are wild animals. They are not our friends, we should not try to pet them.
All those dolphin petting zoos [google.com] don't help. I'm surprised people aren't getting bit on a regular basis. Normal dolphins swim 25+ miles per day. No zoo can give them that kind of range, instead they are kept in glorified bath-tubs. We wouldn't climb in a cage with any other zoo animal, so what the hell is wrong with people that they think it is smart to do it with dolphins?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @08:36PM
Cetacean are very social creatures.
If you had been put in solitary confinement and forced to dance on command, I'm sure you would would be pissed at your captors and those who resemble your tormentors.
The only accounts I have found of dolphins being purposely aggressive toward humans is creatures who are or were held captive (specifically, Orcas, the largest members of the suborder). [wikipedia.org]
I heard a cetacean expert on the radio noting how dolphins are very good at using their echolocation abilities to locate stuff inside of other stuff.
He specifically mentioned their ability to detect a fetus in a human even before the woman knew she was pregnant.
He also mentioned that they get very protective of expectant moms.
This stuff and the fact that dolphins have been known to -protect- humans from sharks can be found on this page from Australia for Dolphins. [afd.org.au]
Now, I understand that it is standard practice for SeaWorld employees to warn folks not to stick their hands in the tanks with the 600-pound creatures who don't realize that they can easily accidentally squash a human's limbs against the side of the tank.
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 06 2015, @07:50AM
He specifically mentioned their ability to detect a fetus in a human even before the woman knew she was pregnant.
He also mentioned that they get very protective of expectant moms.
So he said something that he read on a website. Hm. Some proper research would be nice.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 06 2015, @07:08PM
No. The expert, whose lifelong work is the study of the suborder, was relating these things which has seen over decades of observation.
The advocacy website puts in 1 place the observations of various experts on the topic.
You could use a remedial reading course.
Additionally, I hope you aren't assigned any duties that involve extrapolation.
You are really lousy at that.
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @08:24PM
Not the "R. U. Sirius Institute"?
(Score: 2) by K_benzoate on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:02AM
Alternative title, "Woman, baby, raped by dolphin in Hawaii"
Climate change is real and primarily caused by human activity.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by rleigh on Saturday September 05 2015, @10:35AM
Or "Killer dolphins eat newborn baby"?!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @12:48PM
Wonder how I would feel if that happens. The fraudulent motherfuckers had it coming, but ... would it be like a case of abortion?
(Score: 2, Interesting) by rleigh on Saturday September 05 2015, @01:57PM
I would think it would probably count as manslaughter (or its infant equivalent) given that irresponsible behaviour had led directly to the death of a human being, which would otherwise have been easily avoided. While I'm no expert on the specifics of the law, the parents would clearly bear the responsibility of safeguarding their child.
You're supposed to be careful mixing infants and small children with pets such as dogs, since they can unintentionally provoke fear and violent behaviour, and this can lead to a trained, otherwise well-behaved domesticated animal doing something tragic we wouldn't expect. Putting a newly-born and defenceless infant in immediate proximity to wild predators seems outright mad--we can't predict or control their actions, and if they decide that your newborn looks like a tasty snack, you're going to be pretty helpless to prevent any aggression while in their domain if they put their mind to it.
Some of the comments in the original article are funny, particularly the one about humans being the only animals that find pleasure in killing. Nonsense. I'm sure every predator out there gains pleasure from it as well as sustenance. We aren't special in that way. Have they ever seen cats hunting and killing birds just for the hell of it? What about dogs chasing birds/squirrels/rabbits/whatever? They obviously want to and enjoy hunting (and, if they ever succeed in catching something) kill things--the thrill of the chase is real. Nature can be both cruel and kind, but I didn't think even "treehuggers" would be so stupid as to assume wild animals have some sort of moral/altruistic behavioural superiority over humans! You don't need a PhD in biology to see that's utter bollocks (and I do have one). Most animals behave exactly as we would do if hungry and starving--whatever it takes to survive, and if a free lunch comes their way, they'll grab it if it seems they aren't putting themselves at too much risk.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by maxwell demon on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:10AM
Sorry, but I can't see anything natural in dolphin-assisted birth (unless it's the birth of a dolphin, of course).
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Gravis on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:47AM
"Children born in the water with the dolphins develop 6 months faster over their first six months, have perhaps 150 grams more brain weight and are ambidextrous."
the English translation is, "a sucker is born every minute"
only a fool would believe these con artists.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:51AM
"All claims are true, for an extremely small sample size."
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:49AM
How it possible more brain weight? Oh! I know! Follow these two simple step:
1. Be a boy.
2. Don't be a girl.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:59AM
You can have 5.5kg more brain if you are a whale.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @10:11AM
You can have 3.0m more penis if you are a blue whale.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:54AM
Runs a spiritual healing center scam. Looking for publicity. Gets it by endangering the life of an innocent human baby.
Some people don't deserve to have children.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @09:57AM
Good news. You don't deserve children or to continue living. Kill yourself, and then kill your family.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @12:21PM
You first.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 06 2015, @03:15AM
- Hi! Is this the Netherworld?
- I'm here because of killing myself and my family.
*looks around*
- Hey! Where's my family?
- D'oh!
(Score: 5, Insightful) by wonkey_monkey on Saturday September 05 2015, @11:21AM
I'm not entirely sure...
"Children born in the water with the dolphins develop 6 months faster over their first six months, have perhaps 150 grams more brain weight and are ambidextrous."
...but I think that's bullshit.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Saturday September 05 2015, @03:14PM
I think you're right....!
(Score: 2) by Hyperturtle on Saturday September 05 2015, @04:53PM
No doubt. I call that marketing as well.
People with more dollars than sense eat this stuff up. It continues to amaze me what people will believe in if it ties into a self-serving interest.
As a whole, we all want smarter children. Some people just aren't blessed to have a good chance of popping a smart one out. This really drives the point home that your parents can really influence your future earnings. The dumb things they do when you are a baby will influence you for the rest of your life.
I would want to research this further, and determine how they have determined that a baby is ambidextrous when they are not yet at the point of being able to selectively prefer one hand over another -- but perhaps such details are beyond my understanding, or are a result of the advanced development.
A baby that grows twice as fast, to me at least, dies at half the age it should. What are the long term expectations? Or do this year's profits cloud the vision into such studies? Do they also sell bathing suits specific for this? Supporting materials to help ensure success?
At least the people selling shovels to gold miners were catering to a demonstrated reality--there was gold in them thar hills.
In this case, there's people selling fear and promise to a demonstrated reality -- there's gold to be mined in a mom's emotions. Mining for gold at least was a somewhat honest endeavor, and supplying the tools made for often better business than the gold mining itself.
Perhaps that is why pregnant women are The Most Desirable Target Advertising Demographic there is. Much more than people considered to be smart, at least. Appeals to motherly emotion work much better to spur sales than appeals to the cold calculation of intelligence.
I hear if you rub your baby's behind with enough scratch and win lottery tickets, you may already be a winner!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 05 2015, @12:37PM
They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azEOeTX1LqM [youtube.com]
(Score: 1) by dingus on Saturday September 05 2015, @06:19PM
And dangerous. This whole "natural birth" phenominon is silly; when people gave bith "naturally" the infant mortality rates were so much higher. And giving birth in the ocean is pretty far from natural. The baby has a higher-than-average chance of getting infected.
(Score: 3, Funny) by VortexCortex on Saturday September 05 2015, @11:41PM
Exactly. Sea water is swimming with bacteria.
Where are the "natural birthers" who climb up trees to perform gravity assisted Birth From Above?
Catch!
Says the Simian Institute, "Children born from trees with other apes develop healthier lungs than other infants, have perhaps 15cm more reach, and are excellent at gymnastics."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 06 2015, @07:44AM
> Exactly. Sea water is swimming with bacteria.
It is also about 3.5% salt while your body is a tad under 1% salt. It is a rare bacteria that can thrive in both concentrations.
(Score: 2) by penguinoid on Saturday September 05 2015, @08:53PM
I think it's just advertising for her regular scam.
RIP Slashdot. Killed by greedy bastards.