A recent study published in Marine Mammal Science suggests that humpback whales create bubble rings primarily when humans are nearby, indicating a potential form of playful interaction. The WhaleSETI research team found that these bubble rings were absent in drone footage where no humans were observed. Researchers believe this behavior reflects the whales' complex social interactions and communication, akin to playfulness observed in other animals. The study highlights the significance of understanding marine mammal intelligence, with implications for how we search for extraterrestrial life.
To better understand whether humans influenced the behavior, the team reviewed hundreds of hours of drone footage from other whale studies.
It certainly seems like the humpback whale is playing, said Dr. Laurance Doyle, SETI Institute scientist and co-author on the paper.
Humpback whales live in complex societies, are acoustically diverse, use bubble tools and assist other species being harassed by predators.
Now, akin to a candidate signal, we show they are blowing bubble rings in our direction in an apparent attempt to playfully interact.
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