NASA's 1960s Dolphin Experiment: Peter's Quest for Language, Human Bond, and Tragic End

In the 1960s, NASA funded a controversial experiment led by researcher Margaret Howe Lovatt on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, aiming to teach dolphins to mimic human speech. Peter, a bottlenose dolphin, was the primary subject. Margaret Howe Lovatt lived in a partially flooded house with Peter for a significant period, creating a human-like environment to encourage language acquisition. Peter developed a strong bond with Lovatt, exhibiting both attachment and sexual behavior, which Lovatt addressed in a calm and routine manner. Due to funding cuts and the controversial nature of the experiment, the project was terminated. Peter was moved to a smaller tank in Miami, where he suffered from isolation and depression. According to some accounts, including that of John C. Lilly, Peter died by refusing to surface for air, an act interpreted by some as suicide. Dolphin activist Ric O'Barry explained that dolphins are conscious breathers, and Peter may have intentionally ended his life due to unbearable conditions. The experiment raises ethical questions about interspecies communication, the treatment of animals in research, and the boundaries of human-animal relationships. The use of LSD on other dolphins in the project, as explored by Lilly, further contributed to the project's controversial legacy.