Whales and dolphins: playful encounters discovered on the high seas!

Whales and dolphins: playful encounters discovered on the high seas!

researchers from the Griffith University in Australia have documented remarkable playful encounters between whales and dolphins in a new study. The main authors Olaf Meynecke and Olivia Crawley analyzed a variety of social media recordings that come from tour providers, hobby photographers and scientists. A total of 199 interactions between 19 different types of bare whales and dolphins were examined in 17 countries and the results were published in the specialist magazine "Discover Animals".

A central knowledge of the study is that in about a quarter of these encounters there were positive and mutual interactions that were perceived as playful or friendly. Bumping whales, which are known as extremely social animals, show interest in their body language, for example by rolling on the side and presenting their stomach. These behaviors indicate a communicative interaction with the dolphins.

observations and results

dolphins often seem to look for the whales, especially near the whale heads. Researchers suspect that dolphins want to stay within sight of the whales to be perceived by them. Technical aids such as cameras that were attached to whales also enabled the observation that dolphins followed to the sea floor and keep eye contact with the whales. This behavior is interpreted as an expression of social game.

unexplained motifs

The reasons for these remarkable encounters have not yet been fully clarified. However, it is speculated that the interactions between whales and dolphins could be seen as a form of social game that contributes to the promotion of creativity with these marine mugs. Observations have shown that humpback whales play with seatang in a creative way, which is seen as a sign of fun and intellectual activity.

The study offers valuable insights into the social behavior of whales and dolphins and opens the door for further studies on the cognitive skills of these impressive animals. The WWF points out that knowledge of whales and dolphins is of central importance in order to promote the protection of these endangered species and to understand and combat the persistent threats to which they are exposed.