Sandbox / Sapient Cetaceans Wick Check

Here a wick check will be performed on Sapient Cetaceans.

Why?: While the definition for this trope is cetaceans being as or nearly as smart as humans (specifically by doing many advanced things beyond what a typical dolphin can do), it gets misused instead for any anthropomorphic cetacean, along with dolphin-like alien races.

Wicks checked: 50/50

Wick totals:

• 12/50 wicks, or 24%, were correctly used (with the cetaceans being as or nearly as smart as humans),
• 3/50 wicks, or 6%, were just an anthropomorphic cetacean or a cetacean not necessarily as smart as humans,
• 15/50 wicks, or 30%, were of dolphin-like alien races,
• 2/50 wicks, or 4%, were of other misuse,
• 15/50 wicks, or 30%, were zero-context or unclear, and
• 3/50 wicks, or 6%, were unclassifiable.

Totaled together, that's

• 12/50 wicks, or 24%, correct, and
• 35/50 wicks, or 70%, incorrect.

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Correct use (cetaceans as or nearly as smart as humans) (12/50)

1. TabletopGame.They Came From Beneath The Sea: The Prefecture of the Pod are an alliance of evil dolphins and whales with super-technology. Rorqualasaur is an ancient, possibly alien, whale the size of a large island. If they have super-technology, they're at least as smart as humans.
2. Series.Mystery Science Theater 3000: Parodied during Devil Fish. Mike and the bots make the mistake of talking disparagingly about dolphins — only to have a "Dolphin Mothership" show up and start attacking them. It takes some serious kissing up in order to get them to leave. Later on, Mike and the bots start talking smack about electricians, only to discover that they have a mutual protection pact with the dolphins. If they have a "dolphin mothership", they fit the definition. Legit parodied example.
3. Creator.William Gibson: The short story "Johnny Mnemonic" features Jones, a drug-addicted cyborg dolphin who communicates through a panel of christmas lights and lives in an amusement park after being retired from the Navy. He uses his SQUID implant to help Johnny extract the stolen Yakuza data in his head in exchange for a shot of good shit. The dolphin seems to be as smart as a human, via technology. Seems right.
4. Literature.Hyperion Cantos: There is mention of intelligent telepathic dolphins. Unfortunately they are noted to have been hunted nearly to extinction two hundred years prior...because they were sentient.
5. ComicBook.Doctor Zero: Doctor Zero talks with dolphins, and seems to consider them a better species than humans. He's offered to take them with him when he finally leaves the planet.
6. Website.The Onion: Parodied this with the article "Dolphins Evolve Opposable Thumbs: 'Oh, Shit,' Says Humanity". The article is then filled with stories of the Dolphins' incredibly rapid technology development, and marine biologists committing suicide or preparing to serve the Dolphin overlords. Seems to be pretty much correct?
7. Characters.Bleeding Edge: Mekko is just as smart and capable of coherent thought as the other members of Bleeding Edge. I assume this is correct? It seems that way?
8. VideoGame.Critical Depth: The Cephalopod race had intended for dolphins to rule the earth. In Team Earth Hope's ending, they are dismayed to find humans have taken over after millions of years, and vow to fix the situation. These dolphins seem as smart as humans at least.
9. WesternAnimation.Star Trek Lower Decks: Cetacean Ops has at least two beluga whale crew who work in navigation, and we see them for the first time in the Season 2 finale. Correctly used.
10. Literature.Hellspark: None appear in the story, but during a discussion of the definition of sapience it's mentioned that dolphins have been recognized as sapient despite not fitting a strict reading of the definition (because they don't create and use physical artifacts). Seems to be a correct Played With example.
11. WesternAnimation.The Tick: "Tick vs Reno, Nevada" featured a dolphin who, like Blowhole, wanted to conquer mankind rather than amuse it. The dolphin seems to be human enough.
12. Literature.Andrea Vernon And The Corporation For Ultra Human Protection: A speaking humpback whale offers his services to CUP in book 2 and shows up during the climax of the book to help defend New York. Despite his claims that he can summon other sea creatures to fight beside him, he shows up alone. When Andrea questions that, he points out that it was extremely short notice, so the fact that he managed to make it at all from the Pacific to the Atlantic is in an of itself a miracle. Andrea also learns that the whale approached DESTRON America at the same time but ended up going with CUP. The dolphin can speak—it qualifies.

Just an anthropomorphic cetacean/a cetacean that is not necessarily as smart as humans (3/50)

1. Toys.Digimon: Whamon. It's a whale with a Giger-esque armor plate on its head. Just an anthropomorphic whale.
2. Film.Blackfish: A certain level of intelligence in the whales is shown by film of whales seemingly toying with their trainers. One incident in particular — where the whale drags the trainer repeatedly down the bottom of the tank — shows that the whale seems to know how long it can submerge its trainer to torture him without drowning him. Not as smart as humans, though.
3. Literature.Council Wars: "Delphinos", humans who have used advanced genetic engineering to turn themselves into dolphins and have lost all sense of their own humanity as a result. Dolphins are explicitly mentioned as not being human.

Sapient dolphin-like aliens (15/50)

1. Square-Cube Law: Liir are technically immortal and never stop growing, resulting in their Great Elders being very large. Eventually, they grow too big and die due to gravity. Suul'ka are Liir Great Elders who say "Forget this gravity junk" and teleport into space to continue their existence. Dolphin-like alien race.
2. Depopulation Bomb: Sword of the Stars: Also, in the Liir backstory, they are conquered by a vicious race known to them only as the Suul'ka. When they finally rebel, the Liir use their advanced knowledge of biology to genetically engineer a virus designed to kill only the Suul'ka. The virus actually wipes out all Suul'ka in the sector and, as it was previously thought, all Suul'ka everywhere. The sequel reveals that the Suul'ka are Not Quite Dead. Dolphin-like alien race.
3. Easy Communication: In Sword of the Stars Humans and Zuul cannot relay orders to fleets in nodespace because the signals wouldn't be able to catch up to the ships in time...The Liir use "stutter-probes" to record audio-messages using their Fleetsong battle language and send them to their destination. Since the probes are much smaller than ships, they can teleport much faster (of course, how do you send a probe to a ship teleporting at FTL speeds).^note Technically, neither is moving at FTL at all. They just teleport minute distances really, really fast, and the comm probes can do it even faster. Dolphin-like alien race.
4. Characters.Dungeons And Dragons Creatures M: Malasyneps have genius-level intellects, and speak Aquan. Dolphin-like alien race.
5. Characters.Conspiracy X: The Greys were similar to terrestrial cetaceans before making contact with the Atlanteans which caused the Greys to decide that arms and legs were more useful for getting around. Dolphin-like aliens.
6. Characters.All Tomorrows: Our Mermaids Are Different: They are definitely one of the Star People's descendants evolved to live underwater, but they look more like a cross between a dolphin and fish than traditional mermaids. Vaguely dolphin-like aliens.
7. What Measure Is a Non-Cute?: Star Trek: Enterprise: They introduce the Xindi, a planet made up of five different races: a humanoid race (who looked very human), a sloth-like race (who looked mostly human), a dolphin-like race, an insect-like race, and a lizard-like race. And all but the last two pull a Heel–Face Turn. Dolphin-like alien race.
8. Literature.Spinneret: The Pom are similar to dolphins with tentacles. Dolphin-like alien race.
9. XUniverse.Tropes M To R Not much is known of the Wenendra (a race of Sapient Cetaceans on one of the Boron planets), but it involves a creator deity. Upon First Contact, the Boron had some trouble convincing the Wenendra they weren't that entity. Doplhin-like alien race.
10. Literature.The Snow Queen Series: The mers, even though they are more seal-like. They sing like whales though. Dolphin-like alien race.
11. Binomium ridiculus: The X-Encyclopedia gives fairly reasonable Latin names to all the major nonhuman species of the X-Universe, though the text admits that applying Terran nomenclature to extraterrestrials is inexact at best...It also puts the mysterious semi-insectoid Khaak in order Bilateria and the Sapient Cetacean Wenendra in order Cetacea. Dolphin-like alien race.
12. AllThereInTheManual.Video Games: The X-Universe has a history that goes back almost five billion years...In addition to explaining the history and fleshing out much of the setting, it loves to talk about things that aren't even hinted at in the games, such as an independent human government called the Hatikvah Free League, and a race of Sapient Cetaceans on a hidden Boron planet. Seems to be a race of dolphin-like aliens.
13. Dark Secret: Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter reveals that the Liir have been harboring a dark secret: the Suul'ka are really Liir Elders who have refused to die and became Drunk with Power. The bit about the Liir killing all Suul'ka with a bio-engineered plague is complete bull. Dolphin-like alien race.
14. Some Call Me "Tim": Star Trek Expanded Universe: Dark Mirror: The Delphine scientist Hwiii ie'ee u-Ulak! ha'. It's pronounced "Wheee!" Dolphin-like alien race.
15. Characters.Star Trek Species A To D: What they evolved from and still act like. Seems to be a dolphin-like alien race.

Other misuse (2/50)

1. It Can Think: Dolphins and whales have a reputation for intelligence. Dolphins appear to pass the "mirror test" — they exhibit behaviour that they never do at other times, like flapping their fins, suggesting they're posing. The smartest dolphins are orcas^note Yes, they're called "killer whales", but taxonomically they're a species of dolphin. Don't blame us, blame colloquial English, and check out what they can do: ... Doesn't describe a dolphin as smart as humans. Just describes real dolphins behavior.
2. Literature.The Tale Of Gurion Thricebound: While other animals touched by the Mother as adults report a sudden increase in their awareness and understanding, Whitecap seems to have noticed no change. Example seems to outright say it isn't an example. Putting in other.

ZCEs (other than alien races) and unclear (15/50)

1. Characters.Digimon V Tamer 01: A whale who is a programming expert. Okay, he just looks like a whale to humans because that's the easiest form people except him as, but still. Low context, plus natter.
2. Literature.Time Machine Series: Telepathic dolphin officers, to boot. No context.
3. Red Alert 3: Paradox: they have made an alliance with sperm whales in exchange for protecting the whale`s territory. Low on context.
4. Literature.Dragonriders Of Pern: The original settlers brought intellectually enhanced dolphins with them, but lost contact after the exodus to the Northern Continent. In the aptly titled Dolphins of Pern, Jayge and Aramina's son Readis becomes the first to reestablish contact with the "shipfish". Doesn't mention if the intellectually-enhanced dolphins are as or nearly as smart as humans. Unclear.
5. Characters.Kamen Rider Blade Undeads: Category Five of Diamonds Whale Undead. No context.
6. VideoGame.Jupiter And Mars: The game is especially popular with Ecco the Dolphin fans, for obvious reasons. No context pothole.
7. Characters.The Review Team Equestrian Inhabitants: Smarty Smarts and, much like some dolphins, evil to boot.
8. Characters.Adventures Of The Galaxy Rangers: Intelligent ones outfitted with cyberware!
9. WhatCouldHaveBeen.Literature: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Douglas Adams's original outline follows Arthur (originally named Aleric) and Ford up until they stow away on the Vogon ship in much the same manner as the finished product, but the suggested continuations, aside from one about Sapient Cetaceans, in no way resembled what we eventually got.
10. Pinball.Johnny Mnemonic: James, the cyborg-enhanced dolphin, appears next to the left ramp.
11. Characters.The Simpsons Tapped Out: ZCE
12. Myth.Inuit Mythology: Dolphins, orcas, whales, porpoises, belugas and narwhals are all considered by the Inuit to be the most intelligent creatures, besides humans of course. Does not say if they are specifically as smart as humans. Unclear.
13. Literature.Mardock Scramble: Tweedledum the dolphin. Commented out ZCE
14. Anime.Gun Buster
    • The final episode shows an Orca amongst a ship's crew.
    • The Eltreum uses cyborg dolphins for navigation, though only one is briefly shown. Low to no context.
15. VideoGame.Eco Quest: The Search for Cetus features a number of ocean creatures that are able to communicate with the human protagonist. The first one he meets is an injured dolphin named Delphineus. Unclear on if this means they are specifically human-like.

Unclassifiable (3/50)

1. AlliterativeName.Tropes S To Z Index
2. JustForFun.Pokedex Of Tropes Sapient Cetitans JFF index.
3. IReadThatAs.N To S: Sapient Crustaceans; Sapient Sebaceans JFF

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