Talk to Animals?

Dolphin Communication-past present and futurE

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 11:30 AM -2:00 PM, Doubletree Inn, Hyannis, MA

Join fellow Harvard Club of Cape Cod and MIT Cape Cod Alumni to learn more about our fascinating ocean neighbors and the work happening at WHOI.

The idea that dolphins communicate with a complex form of language has been entrenched in our culture since the days of the TV show “Flipper.” Dr. Laela Sayigh, Senior Research Specialist at WHOI, will tell us how this idea originated, and its continuing impact, by giving a brief history of the study of dolphin communication. She will update us on the current state of knowledge, including examples of recent research, focusing particularly on structure and function of individually distinctive signature whistles and less well-understood non-signature whistles. She will describe current avenues of research, including playback experiments, tag studies, and a project using acoustic monitoring to develop an alert system for dolphin mass stranding events. Hear about the future directions, including the use of artificial intelligence to detect and classify whistles.

Dr. Sayigh, an expert in the behavior of dolphins and whales, has spent many years with a cohort of dolphins in Sarasota Florida. She received her Ph.D. from the MIT-WHOI Joint Program and her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Deadline for registration is Friday, April 3, 2026

To download a registration form to mail in for the presentation, please click here.  Otherwise:

Each meal includes:

• Traditional Caesar Salad with Herb Croutons and Shaved Parmesan
• Chef's Choice of Vegetable and Starch
• Baskets of Freshly Baked Rolls and Butter
• Freshly Brewed Coffee, Decaf Coffee and Assorted Teas
• Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Scented Whipped Cream

Select your entrée when registering.