<p>It was indeed a recording of a Aussie Kookaburra, additional it was sped up a bit.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-16T21:39:47.683Z
2024-01-16T21:39:47.683Z
10MMGary
<p>The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2003/01/31/day-of-the-dolphin/493063d2-ef69-42d5-952a-73e7a8b4c20b/" rel="noreferrer">reports</a> that according to Jennifer Durkin from the Baltimore's National Aquarium:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The friendly voice of the dolphin in &quot;Flipper&quot; was dubbed -- it was,
in fact, a recording of Australia's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kookaburra" rel="noreferrer">kookaburra</a> bird.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqdRQxgtZtI" rel="noreferrer">here</a>, they sound similar to Flipper indeed :-)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-20T22:15:55.760Z
That is amazing--- over the years I have periodically become re-obsessed with this question & never found any info on it.... Thank you!!!
Shannon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-27T11:18:14.997Z
Hi @Shannon you can "accept" this answer, I think, to mark it as correct
Dan Stowell
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-20T20:06:38.893Z
2022-07-21T12:46:02.857Z
2022-07-21T12:46:02.857Z
Noil
<p>Flipper was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipper_(1964_TV_series)" rel="noreferrer">tv show</a> in the 60s about a dolphin and his humans. There is this sound that flipper supposedly makes out of water that is unlike any other dolphin sound I have heard (I have studied underwater acoustics of pelagic dolphins for a long time). I have always wondered if this is a sound that dolphins may make in the air? Or perhaps they can be  trained to make this sound? Or perhaps this sound is synthetic/fake?</p>
<p><strong>Does anyone know if this is a real sound that dolphins make?</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/UccklcLIhGE" rel="noreferrer">Link to sound on youtube</a>.</p>

<identification><dolphins><call-identification><fictional-sounds>
Is this sound made by 'Flipper' dolphin tv series real?
# Is this sound made by 'Flipper' dolphin tv series real?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-20)

Flipper was a [tv show](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipper_(1964_TV_series)) in the 60s about a dolphin and his humans. There is this sound that flipper supposedly makes out of water that is unlike any other dolphin sound I have heard (I have studied underwater acoustics of pelagic dolphins for a long time). I have always wondered if this is a sound that dolphins may make in the air? Or perhaps they can be trained to make this sound? Or perhaps this sound is synthetic/fake?

**Does anyone know if this is a real sound that dolphins make?**

[Link to sound on youtube](https://youtu.be/UccklcLIhGE).

**Tags:** identification, dolphins, call-identification, fictional-sounds


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-07-20. Score: 17 | Accepted answer

The Washington Post [reports](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2003/01/31/day-of-the-dolphin/493063d2-ef69-42d5-952a-73e7a8b4c20b/) that according to Jennifer Durkin from the Baltimore's National Aquarium:

> The friendly voice of the dolphin in "Flipper" was dubbed -- it was,
> in fact, a recording of Australia's [kookaburra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kookaburra) bird.

Check out [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqdRQxgtZtI), they sound similar to Flipper indeed :-)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: That is amazing--- over the years I have periodically become re-obsessed with this question & never found any info on it.... Thank you!!!  
> **username_3**: Hi @username_0 you can "accept" this answer, I think, to mark it as correct  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2024-01-16. Score: 0

It was indeed a recording of a Aussie Kookaburra, additional it was sped up a bit.


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