Science
Orcas Caught Using Bull Kelp To Groom Each Other—A Remarkable Case Of Marine Mammal Tool Use
Orcas have once again surprised experts, and we still don’t fully understand the natural world and the plants and animals that inhabit it.
It was previously shown that the intelligent whale species could “imitate” human speech, but a new form of behaviour has left scientists perplexed.
In a recent investigation, a group of killer whales were seen using a particular kind of seaweed to groom one another.
Since this is the first documented instance of marine animals using tools in this manner, it’s a historic moment.
This particular behaviour had previously only been observed in humans and primates, with chimpanzees and tamarins having been shown to use sticks as tools.
Using drones equipped with cameras, the researchers observed a group of orcas gnawing on pieces of bull kelp, a marine plant. They think they were doing this to help get rid of parasites or dead skin from one another when they were observed rolling the stems of these plants between their bodies.
A recent scientific study that was published in the journal Current Biology now documents the odd and previously observed behaviour.
The southern portion of the Salish Sea was home to about 72 killer whales under observation.
A two-foot chunk of bull kelp was observed being removed by a single whale. The whale went ahead and wedged it between two other whales before rubbing against the kelp after biting it off and balancing it.
Before they learnt that other whales were also engaging in this behaviour, experts thought it was an isolated incident involving a single whale.
According to Michael Weiss, the primary author of the study and research director at the Centre for Whale Research, they “realised this was a common, frequent behaviour, which was a very exciting moment” when they realised the behaviour wasn’t an isolated incident.
“We realised we had stumbled across a newly described behaviour, which is remarkable,” Weiss said. “You don’t even think it is a possibility to find something new like this when you’re observing whales.”
“It doesn’t surprise me that they have these intricate social interactions because we know they develop deep bonds between each other, that they are very smart and they figure out problems in their environment.”
Scientists have observed whales ‘kelping’, or wrapping kelp across themselves. The whale appears to be deliberately choosing and trimming it before utilising it amongst themselves, which makes this new behaviour unique.
We call this new technique ‘allokelping’.
Researchers found that although the technique appears to occur primarily within the whale pod, it is more frequently displayed by closely related and similar-aged whales.
Additionally, they had a lot of dead skin, which led scientists to hypothesise that the action was similar to how people exfoliate their skin. It was proposed that the procedure not only removes the dead skin but also keeps the whales parasite-free.
In the same way as humans and monkeys do, it was also observed to enhance and foster the bonds between the whales.
“Touch moderates stress and helps to build relationships,” says Darren Croft, executive director of the Centre for Whale Research and a researcher at the University of Exeter.
“We know killer whales often make contact with other members of their group, touching with their bodies and fins, but using kelp like this might enhance this experience,” Croft stated.
“It might also be important for skin health. Whales and dolphins have a variety of strategies to help them slough dead skin, and this may be yet another adaptation for this purpose.”
These whales are also known to acquire’regional accents’, and it is hoped that much more may be learnt about this amazing animal.
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