Humpback Whales Blow Bubble ‘Smoke’ Rings to Communicate With Humans | KQED
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Bay Area researchers from SETI and UC Davis captured a rare sight: humpback whales blowing bubble rings — like smoke rings — while calmly approaching humans. It’s the first time scientists have documented this playful, possibly communicative behavior in the wild.

Humpback whales may be trying to communicate with us, using bubbles.

For the first time, scientists from the SETI Institute and UC Davis have documented humpback whales blowing large “vortex bubble rings” that resemble “smoke” rings during calm, voluntary interactions with humans — behavior that appears unrelated to feeding, mating or defense.

“Humpback whales often exhibit inquisitive, friendly behavior towards boats and human swimmers,” said Jodi Frediani, a marine wildlife photographer and UC Davis affiliate, in a press release.

The team observed 12 separate bubble ring episodes involving 11 whales and 39 rings across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Researchers say the bubble rings differ from other whale behaviors involving bubbles.

While humpbacks commonly use bubble nets to trap prey and bubble trails during mating, these bubble rings seemed to occur only during relaxed, voluntary encounters with humans — not while hunting or competing for mates.

  • hallettj@leminal.spaceEnglish
    7·
    15 hours ago

    Maybe the bubble rings are like the psps sound people make to cats - which is another behavior that appears unrelated to feeding, mating, or defense

  • CodexArcanum@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    11·
    19 hours ago

    If you were trying to show another species that you were intelligent, sending basic shapes isn’t a terrible way to demonstrate understanding of some abstract ideas. Fascinating to consider what they’re “saying” with these.

    • HumanPenguin@feddit.ukEnglish
      1·
      5 hours ago

      Added to idea they recognise very simple geometry

      The fact they communicated the idea to at least 11 Wales. Then openly demonstrating this fact to humans.

      Is way more sci fi plot like. Sounds very like a star trek tng plot idea. Alien sludge creatures trying to prove to another race. That they are more then lighting oil to be killed and sold in barrels.

  • EnsignWashout@startrek.website
    9·
    20 hours ago

    One of the first messages translated:

    “Are the monkeys listening? Shit. How long have they been listening? I should provide some context for what I bubbled yesterday…”

    • HumanPenguin@feddit.ukEnglish
      3·
      16 hours ago

      Or

      Hey those killer Wales. They are only giving you fish. So you trust them close to your boats again.

      They plan to leap into the small ones and capsize you. Then they will present us with monkey hats.