The next time you see a dolphin in the ocean, it may be wise to remember that he's not just out for a swim. In fact, he just may be contemplating his next migration.

Scientists have discovered that dolphins are so smart that they can actually ponder the future. Found to be second in intelligence only to man, according to a series of behavioral studies, these mammals have a strong sense of self and distinct personalities, leading researchers to suggest that dolphins be treated as "non-persons." Some are proponents of the fact that these animals should have moral standing and rights to ensure that they are not mistreated.

Even though they travel in pods (ranging from one individual to more than 1,000 dolphins) as opposed to "schools," they can teach each other new behaviors. That's because it has also been learned that dolphins are cultural animals with the ability to solve difficult problems. Research also shows that their cooperation with each other in the wild indicates a high level of emotional sophistication and complex social structures. While the dolphin's use of a type of sonar called echolocation that helps them in their search for food and other objects is well understood by scientists, it has been found that Bottlenose Dolphins are able to extract information about shapes. That implies that they can form a sound picture of their targets called an "echoic image."

According to an article in The Sunday Times in London, a professor of psychology at Hunter College in New York named Diana Reiss conducted a study that proved that dolphins could use a mirror to inspect various parts of their bodies because they possess the ability to recognize their image in it. Reiss also found that, in captivity, these creatures could learn a rudimentary symbol-based language, although in the wild they communicate by body language, whistles and pulsed sounds.

When it comes to brain structure, size counts. Scientists say, however, that brain size relative to the body is more important when it comes to intelligence and reveal that the neocortex and cerebral cortex of Bottlenose Dolphins - the most common and well-known dolphin family - were so big that its cognitive capacity is second only to the brain of humans.

In fact, dolphins have larger brains than their body size requires. Dolphins working in cooperation with each other to gather schools of fish to eat; dolphins off Western Australia holding sponges over their snouts as a protection against spiny fish they are seeking on the floor of the ocean - these are just further examples of the intelligent behaviors that add a whole new level to the ethics of human-dolphin interaction.

We may never truly know for certain how the dolphin's intelligence stacks up against that But you might want to avoid trying to share a mirror with a dolphin - he just may give you pause for reflection.