🐋 Whales develop new methods to communicate with us

Humpback whales appear to want to communicate with us, not with sounds, but with bubbles. A recent study reveals intriguing behavior that could shed light on our search for other forms of intelligence, terrestrial or extraterrestrial.


Researchers from SETI and the University of California, Davis observed whales producing perfectly symmetrical bubble rings in the presence of humans. These interactions, devoid of aggression or foraging behavior, suggest an attempt at communication or play.

A silent language beneath the oceans

Humpback whales already use bubble curtains for hunting, a sophisticated collective technique. But the rings observed here are different: isolated, precise, and directed toward boats or swimmers.

Of the 12 analyzed episodes, involving 11 individuals, the cetaceans produced 39 rings, often deliberately approaching humans. Researchers noted a calm attitude, sometimes accompanied by "spy-hopping": leaps allowing the whale to observe above the water.

No rings were spotted in the absence of humans, according to the analysis of thousands of drone images. This exclusivity reinforces the idea of intentional interaction, perhaps to test our reactions.

An analogy for extraterrestrial research

The WhaleSETI team is studying these behaviors to refine the detection of cosmic signals. As one researcher explains, extraterrestrial intelligence might seek to communicate just as whales do, spontaneously.

In 2021, a "conversation" with a whale named Twain showed reciprocal acoustic exchanges. The bubbles could constitute another channel, non-vocal, highlighting the diversity of intelligent communication methods.

This work invites us to reconsider our approach to non-human intelligences.