The marine world is something incredible, but… what do you say if we talk about the world of cetaceans? A phenomenon that not many people knew about has sparked the curiosity of scientists and those who love to observe the sea: humpback whales (megaptera novaeangliae) make bubble rings… for humans! That’s right, they’ve only been seen making them when humans are nearby. Perfect bubble rings for humans to see! Is it a game? Is it a message? Or is it pure coincidence?
A marine mystery
Imagine watching humpback whales one day, another, and another. And they keep making bubble rings, perfect rings. Obviously, it has caught the attention of all scientists because these poloidal vortices (that’s what they’ve called them) are nothing like the hunting methods of these animals, which is why the journal Marine Mammal Science has been investigating together with researchers from the SETI Institute and the University of California in Davis about this phenomenon.
12 episodes full of intrigue, 39 ring structures created by 11 different whales… incredible!
From hunting fish to playing with air
For now, the clear reason is unknown, but they have been fascinating marine biologists for years with their ability to make bubbles. Until now, we knew that these animals blow air through their blowhole or mouth to create bubble nets to trap fish through “bubble net feeding”, but these circles are not the same.
They form as hollow circles that rise slowly to the surface, almost like the smoke rings a smoker exhales.
And they depend on the type of interaction they want to have with their receiver, the males release bursts during courtship rituals to attract the attention of the females (not like men today, who like an Instagram story and think they’re done); or mothers who take care of their young in an act of beautiful intimacy.
An unexpected marine show
The most surprising thing is that these rings appear when the whales are near humans. In most of the 12 episodes analyzed, the cetaceans showed no signs of stress or fear: they approached calmly, made the rings, and stayed nearby as if they wanted to show them, they wanted to put on a show!
Curiosity, play, or communication?
Researchers are putting forward several hypotheses to explain this incredible phenomenon. The first is that the rings are a form of play for these cetaceans, and the truth is that wouldn’t be so strange. For example, whales and dolphins interact with objects and their environment in ways that seem playful.
Another possibility that scientists suggest is that these animals might be using the bubbles as a form of non-verbal communication. Famous for their complex songs, now they could be using the bubbles to interact with other species, and who could those other species be? Humans!
The reference to Karen Pryor is explicit: “the patterns of bubble production in cetaceans constitute a mode of communication not available to terrestrial mammals”, wow!
What does the human presence have to do with it?
Well, more than 5,000 observation flights with drones and not a single bubble ring! They only appeared when humans were nearby… makes sense, right? But of course, it’s not possible to say that humans are the cause, but we can say they spark some curiosity in the whales (or at least, that they’re related, don’t you think?)
The technical delicacy of the bubbles
The study also highlights the skill with which the whales create these rings. They always produce them with their blowhole, without any visible sign of effort. It’s as if they want to show us their precision and control over the marine environment! We find it truly incredible.
Curiosity, a game… an undeciphered dialogue. A new window to investigate animal intelligence, we also *many bubbles* to you, humpback whales!