could humanity ever figure out how to converse with cetaceans? I feel like as far as animals go they're our best shot and animal communication. They're among the most intelligent of creatures on earth, have distinct languages, communication styles and methods, hell some species even have culture they pass from generation to generation

I know john lilly tried some experiments in communication with dolphins, but he was viewed as fringe/crazy by many, esp given his proclivities towards psychedelics and deprivation tanks-he might have been a mad scientist, but many of the most intelligent/influential/ground breaking scientists could be classified as such

anyways, what are the chances we might communicate with them, or another intelligent species? I don't mean something like pets where we can train them to obey commands or recognize signals/train them in pavlovian responses, i mean actual communication on an intellectual/relatively equal level

I think we need to figure out how to communicate with at least one earth species before we think about aliens-if we can't connect with any other species why would we stand a chance communicating with an alien? This could especially be useful if we find extraterrestrials more intelligent than us, if they've mastered concepts we haven't yet grasped we will be on the lesser end and hope only to be able to follow commands like a pet/domesticated animal