From BBC
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Science correspondent, BBC News
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Orcas in the North Pacific have been seen “massaging” each other – rubbing pieces of kelp between their bodies.
Using drones, researchers filmed the animals selecting and biting off the kelp, then placing the tube-shaped piece of seaweed onto the back of another whale.
The scientists think the massages might have a health or hygiene function, but they also believe they are a form of social bonding.
The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, appear to be an example of tool use in killer whales – with the animals fashioning a tubular piece of seaweed and using it for a specific, planned purpose.
“Let’s call it a kelp massage,” explained Prof Darren Croft from the University of Exeter and the Center for Whale Research in Washington State.
“They’re using the kelp to rub between themselves.”
During 12 days – between April and July 2024 – of studying a population of orcas known as the Southern Residents in the coastal waters off Washington State, the team recorded 30 bouts of kelp massage.
“We see it multiple times per day,” lead researcher, Dr Michael Weiss from the CWR, told BBC News. “When we get a drone over these animals, we’re going to see at least one pair of whales doing this.”
This could be a marine version of what is known as allogrooming in primates. Many monkeys and apes groom other members of their groups – spending hours picking through fur, cleaning and removing parasites.
The researchers
