Humpback Heroes?Researchers have been trying to unravel the mystery of why humpback whales all over

Humpback Heroes?Researchers have been trying to unravel the mystery of why humpback whales all over the world seem to be going out of their way to save other animals from orcas. This behavior has been witnessed from Antarctica to the North Pacific. The humpbacks have been observed slapping their tails and flippers in the water repeatedly while making loud bellowing sounds to drive the orca whales off and according to witnesses, the intervention often allowed the orca’s prey to escape successfully.Researchers also noticed many of the rescue efforts were carried out by two humpbacks working together as a pair and seemingly came out of nowhere with intent to foil the orca’s hunt. California sea lions, sunfish, harbor seals and baby grey whales are some of the animals that have been saved from these large sea creatures.Marine ecologist Robert Pitman witnessed one such event himself in 2009, which compelled him to investigate the whale’s behavior with more intent. He collected 115 documented cases reported by 54 different observers between 1951 and 2012.The scene Pitman saw firsthand was nothing short of amazing. While watching a pod of orcas hunt a Weddell seal in Antarctica, a humpback suddenly came seemingly from nowhere to save the day for the seal. As the orcas knocked the seal off the ice floe, the humpback rose out of the water with the seal safely resting on the whale’s upturned belly. As the seal began to slide, the humpback appeared to place its flippers so the animal could carefully get back on the ice. Once the coast was clear, the seal was able to swim away to a more secure ice floe.Another event involving a pair of humpback whales attempting to save a small grey whale was captured by BBC filmmakers. That video here~ http://bit.ly/2a9aefCAfter studying many documented occurrences, it has been suggested that the sounds coming from the orca whales as they begin to hunt could be what draws in the humpback whales. In 89% of recorded incidents, it was evident that the humpbacks intervened at the precise time when the orcas began engaging in the hunt. Orcas become highly vocal once in attack mode so even without knowing the exact species that is being targeted, perhaps the humpbacks recognize the sounds as negative. Scientists are also suggesting this behavior could be engrained in the whales, though many more studies are needed to understand the significance.In addition to their rescuing proclivities, these animals also exhibit behaviors that seem to show their ability to grieve. In July of this year, researchers from Italy found evidence that whales and dolphins mourn after the death of a family member or friend. The study collected 14 separate events from 7 species of marine mammals: Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins, orca whales, Australian humpback dolphins, sperm whales, Risso’s dolphins and short-finned pilot whales.Mourning is a time intensive, energy-sapping action which would inevitably take away from the animal’s time spent in search of food, mates, etc. This leads to the conclusion that these animals are likely to be genuinely grieving for the loss of a loved one.Although the grieving actions from these marine mammals vary from case to case. Scientists in the Red Sea witnessed an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin push a smaller dolphin through the water using its fins even though the body was badly decayed. There are also reports of them creating a protective circle around an adult mourning a dead calf. Another documented an orca that had given birth to a stillborn carrying the deceased baby around in her mouth.“She was trying to keep the [dead] calf up at the surface the entire time, balancing it on top of her head,” stated Robin Baird, study co-author from the Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia, Washington. “The animals go through a period where they’re experiencing the same kind of emotions you and I would when a loved one dies.”So is this true altruism or is it just another natural instinct engrained in the feral parts of the brain? Unfortunately, whaling throughout the 20th century has drastically reduced their numbers. Populations that were on the brink of extinction are only recently on the rebound.“As their populations continue to recover and we learn more about how they interact with each other and their environment, we could be in for some surprises,” Pitman stated.If scientists can continue their studies and overcome the perils of whale hunting, we might be able to find out more about these complex sea creatures.–MiImage Credit –http://bit.ly/2aZoDaHSources –http://cbsn.ws/2ay0BZ5http://bit.ly/2bbm6vD -- source link

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