<scp>Whales, Dolphins, and Other Marine Mammals of the World</scp>

Fertl, Dagmar

doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2007.00150.x

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…This includes previously documented object play with seaweed [15], cargo netting and rope [51], and even jellyfish [16]. Interaction with other species were also witnessed [52]. This type of behaviour suggests complex interactions of humpback whales with their environment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Exfoliating Whales–Sandy Bottom Contact Behaviour of Humpback Whales

Meynecke

Gustafon

Cade

2023

JMSE

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Cetaceans are known for their intelligence and display of complex behaviours including object use. For example, bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) are known to rub on rocks and some humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) populations undertake lateral bottom feeding. Such underwater behaviour is difficult to observe but can play a critical role in the whales’ survival and well-being. Distinguishing social behaviours from those which serve a specific function remains challenging due to a lack of direct observations and detailed descriptions of such behaviours. A CATS (Customized Animal Tracking Solutions) suction cup tag with on board video and a 3D inertial measurement unit was deployed on three different humpback whales to assess their behaviour in the Gold Coast bay, Australia. Here, we present evidence of humpback whales (tagged and untagged individuals) performing bottom contact with prolonged rolling on sandy substrate. In addition, we showed that fish were actively feeding from the whales’ skin during this behaviour. We detail the behaviour and discuss possible drivers, with a focus on cetacean innovation, possible ectoparasite removal, and habitat preferences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Exfoliating Whales–Sandy Bottom Contact Behaviour of Humpback Whales

Meynecke

Gustafon

Cade

2023

JMSE

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“…The driftwood was placed between the blowhole and dorsal fin but also touched the rostrum. Additionally, there have been reports of humpback whales interacting with other species, such as dolphins and seals [46,47]. The existence of these playful behaviours suggests that humpback whales have complex interactions with their environment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What’s at Play: Humpback Whale Interaction with Seaweed Is a Global Phenomenon

Meynecke,

Kela

2023

JMSE

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The use of objects by cetaceans is well known, and their ability to interact with their environment in complex behaviours has been demonstrated previously. However, baleen whales, including humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), are less often observed to perform object use, but this behaviour might be more common than previously thought. Only a few isolated observations of interactions with seaweed have been reported in the scientific literature to date. The recovery of humpback whale populations, as well as the rise of technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the use of social media, allow for a new assessment of this object interaction. Here, we describe in detail three instances of “kelping” on the east coast of Australia derived from aerial observations. A summary of over 100 separate and unrelated events drawn from social media, documented by photographs and videos, suggests that this form of interaction with seaweed is observed across different populations. The form of interaction with seaweed is similar between regions, predominantly displayed between the rostrum and dorsal fin. This behaviour may be playful but could also serve additional benefits in the context of learning and socializing, as well as ectoparasite removal and skin treatment by utilizing brown algae’s antibacterial properties. Establishing this type of behaviour as distributed across different populations is important to better understand the species’ habitat preferences.

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“…Often referred to as the 'wolves of the sea', killer whales hunt a wide variety of prey species including all marine mammal families, except river dolphins Inia geoffrensis and manatees Trichechus manatus. They have been observed to hunt twenty species of cetaceans, fourteen species of pinnipeds, dugong Dugong dugon and sea otters Enhydra lutris (Jefferson et al, 1991) as well as various marine reptiles (Fertl and Fulling, 2007) and teleosts (Vogel et al, 2021). A review by Fertl and Darby (1996) suggested that elasmobranchs are likely underestimated in the killer whales diet, although records exist globally (Reyes and Garcıá-Borboroglu, 2004;Visser, 2005;Williams et al, 2009;Ford et al, 2011, Jorgensen et al, 2019.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel aerial observations of a group of killer whales Orcinus orca in The Bahamas

Dixon,

Gallagher,

Towner

2023

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Whales, Dolphins, and Other Marine Mammals of the World

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

Exfoliating Whales–Sandy Bottom Contact Behaviour of Humpback Whales

Exfoliating Whales–Sandy Bottom Contact Behaviour of Humpback Whales

What’s at Play: Humpback Whale Interaction with Seaweed Is a Global Phenomenon

Novel aerial observations of a group of killer whales Orcinus orca in The Bahamas

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