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

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

Researchers at Griffith University in Australia have documented remarkable playful encounters between whales and dolphins in a new study. Lead authors Olaf Meynecke and Olivia Crawley analyzed a variety of social media images from tour operators, amateur photographers and scientists. A total of 199 interactions between 19 different species of baleen whales and dolphins in 17 countries were examined and the results were published in the specialist magazine “Discover Animals”.

A key finding 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. Known to be extremely social animals, humpback whales show interest in their body language, such as rolling onto their sides and presenting their bellies. These behaviors indicate a communicative interaction with the dolphins.

Observations and results

Dolphins often seem to seek proximity to whales, especially near the whale heads. Researchers suspect that dolphins want to stay within sight of whales in order to be noticed by them. Technical aids, such as cameras attached to whales, also made it possible to observe that dolphins follow them to the bottom of the sea while maintaining eye contact with the whales. This behavior is interpreted as an expression of social play.

It is also interesting that dolphins enjoy “riding along” alongside the whales. However, in times of food competition, such interactions can be interrupted by whales tail-flicking to signal distance to the dolphins. However, encounters in such tense situations are rather rare, while dolphins show particular interest when arguments break out among the whales. In these cases, they observe fights or calves but do not actively participate.

Unexplained motives

The reasons for these remarkable encounters are not yet fully understood. However, it is speculated that the interactions between whales and dolphins could be viewed as a form of social play that helps promote creativity in these marine mammals. Observations have shown that humpback whales play with seaweed in creative ways, which is seen as a sign of fun and mental activity.

The study provides valuable insights into the social behavior of whales and dolphins and opens the door to further investigations into the cognitive abilities of these impressive animals. WWF notes that knowledge of whales and dolphins is central to promoting the protection of these endangered species and understanding and combating the ongoing threats they face.