Drones spot ‘first evidence' of orcas making tools, study says. ‘Remarkable'
Over the years, orcas have been seen partaking in some peculiar practices, from sinking sailboats to wearing salmon 'hats.'
Now, the apex predators have been observed engaging in a 'remarkable' new behavior: fashioning tools from underwater plants to massage one another.
The discovery — published June 23 in Current Biology — constitutes the 'first evidence' recorded of tool-making by marine mammals.
'We were amazed when we first noticed this,' Michael Weiss, the director of the Center for Whale Research (CWR), said in a University of Exeter news release.
Allokelping
Researchers from both institutions stumbled upon the previously unknown behavior while flying drones over the 'southern resident' orcas in the Salish Sea, located between Washington and British Columbia.
'I was watching one of those really close-up videos when I saw something that looked like a brown stick between two whales that were in contact with each other,' Rachel John, an Exeter master's student, said in the release.
Researchers realized this was not an isolated incident. Close analysis revealed it happened again and again — and involving the same steps each time.
Whales were seen biting off the tips of bull kelp stalks, placing them between themselves and another whale and then rolling the stalk between their two bodies over long periods — with the longest lasting 12 minutes.
This newfound behavior — dubbed 'allokelping' — is distinct from 'kelping,' a phenomenon previously observed in multiple whale species, wherein whales move kelp with their bodies, heads and fins.
Allokelping, by contrast, involves deliberately selecting, trimming and manipulating kelp with a partner — qualifying it as tool-making, previously thought to be the exclusive domain of land animals.
Researchers documented allokelping on eight separate days out of the 12-day study period, indicating it could be a very common behavior among southern resident killer whales.
Social bonding and good hygiene
It's not exactly clear why the killer whales rub themselves with kelp stalks, but a few hypotheses were put forward.
One is that the behavior — seen among relatives and similar aged animals — plays an important part of the whales' social lives.
'We know touch is really important,' Darren Croft, the executive director of the CWR, said in the release. 'In primates – including humans – touch moderates stress and helps to build relationships. 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.'
Allokelping could also benefit orcas' skin (some dermatologists have lauded its effects on human skin as well).
'Whales and dolphins have a variety of strategies to help them slough dead skin, and this may be yet another adaptation for this purpose,' Croft said.
Bull kelp, a type of algae, is also known to have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
Critical moment
The finding comes at a critical moment for southern resident killer whales as just 73 individuals remain, according to the CWR's latest census, conducted in July.
The whales primarily feed on King salmon, also known as Chinook, a species that experienced significant declines due to climate change, over-fishing and habitat destruction.
The future of the whale population — which does not interbreed with others — looks 'very bleak,' Weiss said.
'We're not seeing the birth rate that's required to sustain the population,' Weiss said. 'Under the status quo, all of our projections indicate the population will continue to decline.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Orcas use kelp to groom each other, US researchers discover
The Brief Southern resident killer whales have been observed using detached seaweed as tools to rub against each other, a first for marine mammals. This unique behavior, called "allokelping," is thought to strengthen social bonds and maintain skin health among the whales. The survival of these critically endangered whales and their distinctive culture is threatened by declining food sources and warming oceans impacting kelp forests. Southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea have been observed using detached pieces of seaweed to rub against each other, the first recorded instance of tool-making by marine mammals. This behavior, called "allokelping," may strengthen social bonds and contribute to skin health among the whales. Researchers from the Center for Whale Research (CWR) and the University of Exeter documented the behavior using drone footage. Whales were seen biting off kelp stalks, positioning them between themselves and a partner, and rolling the kelp between their bodies for extended periods. What they're saying "We were amazed when we first noticed this behavior," said Dr. Michael Weiss, CWR research director. He noted that bull kelp is "firm but flexible, like a filled garden hose, with a slippery outer surface," making it an ideal grooming tool. Unlike general "kelping," moving kelp for play or to remove parasites, allokelping involves the deliberate creation and cooperative manipulation of a tool by two whales. Dr. Weiss highlighted that the behavior is widespread among all ages and pods of southern resident killer whales, suggesting it's an important part of their social lives. Professor Darren Croft, of the University of Exeter and CWR's executive director, explained the significance of touch in animals, including humans, for moderating stress and building relationships. He suggested that using kelp could enhance this tactile experience and also benefit skin health. Brown algaes like bull kelp also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that may offer additional benefits. By the numbers As of CWR's last census in July 2024, only 73 southern resident killer whales remain. Their numbers are critically low due to declining Chinook salmon populations (their primary food source), pollution, and noise from human activities. Bull kelp forests, where the whales source their tools, are also declining due to rising ocean temperatures. Big picture view Dr. Weiss expressed concern for the population's future. "Under the status quo, all of our projections indicate the population will continue to decline," Dr. Weiss said. He emphasized that losing these whales means losing "a complex society and a deep, unique set of cultural traditions." Professor Croft added that protecting kelp forests may be crucial for preserving this unique culture. The study, titled "Wild killer whales manufacture and use allogrooming tools," was published in the journal Current Biology. The Source Information in this story came from the Center for Whale Research. New US Marshals photos show high-stakes WA manhunt for Travis Decker $79M Seattle-area home is now most expensive listing in Pacific Northwest Seattle's Duwamish River Festival canceled over concerns of ICE agents Seattle to consider issuing $1k fines for illegal graffiti Report states half a million WA drivers have expired tabs To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Orangutans sacrifice sleep to socialize–but naps can help
If you've ever had a late night out with friends and then needed an afternoon lie-down the next day, you're in good primate company. Wild orangutans also nap to make up for lost sleep, according to new research on an orangutan population in Indonesia. And, one of the biggest factors determining how much sleep they get is their social environment, per the study published June 25 in the journal Current Biology. Orangutans are considered semi-solitary great apes, meaning that they have their own individual ranges, and– with the exception of mothers and infants– spend lots of their days alone. However they still socially interact, voluntarily spending upwards of half their time in proximity to others, depending on sex and life stage. In contrast to humans, who evolved in hunter-gatherer groups, orangutans come from a more solitary lineage. Still socializing seems really important to the apes, as emphasized by the new findings. When the orangutans opt to spend the night near others, they get less rest and take more naps the next day, the scientists report. Yet despite the lost sleep, orangutans still often choose to build their nightly nests in close proximity to each other. 'They definitely seem to have control over who they spend time with,' Caroline Schuppli, a study co-author and an evolutionary biologist and research group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz, Germany, tells Popular Science. 'If they really needed a night to themselves, they could make sure that they got that. To me, the result just shows how vital social associations are, even for this semi-solitary species. … It's not something they can just give up on because they sleep less.' The new research also reveals other surprising parallels between human and orangutan sleep habits. Nap length, the influence of temperature and travel, and even a bed-making pre-sleep routine among orangutans all mirror our own tendencies– adding to the ever-growing list of shared traits between us and our orange-furred cousins. 'We can learn a lot about the evolutionary history of sleep by studying it in the settings in which it evolved,' Schuppli says. Between 2007 to 2023, Schuppli and a crew of local field assistants in Indonesia spent hundreds of days and nights following individual orangutans from their early morning wakeups through to their evening bedtimes and beyond. To ensure thorough tracking, three people were assigned to monitor each orangutan. Armed with binoculars and with their necks craned towards the treetops as they trekked through swampy, Sumatran peat forest, the team collected data on 53 adult individuals over the course of the 17 years. Each evening, before turning in for the night, orangutans 'make their beds,' building leafy nests of twigs and foliage to rest on. The researchers observed that this particular population of orangutans also build slightly simpler nests for daytime naps, in contrast to other groups which frequently just laze on bare branches. To approximate sleep time, the scientists recorded how long each individual spent quietly lying still in these nests in each instance. On average, each night the orangutans entered their nests around 5:40 p.m., less than an hour before sunset, and left them just after sunrise at around 6:28 a.m.–spending just under 13 hours 'in bed.' At least one study of captive orangutans has previously shown that the primates spend about 75 percent of their quiet time in their nests sleeping, so 13 hours of nest time comes out to less than 10 hours of estimated nightly sleep. The apes also spent a mean total of 76 minutes napping each day, over 1-2 different nests and multiple bouts of rest. The average nap duration was about 10 minutes. 'It's surprisingly similar to what is recommended in humans for the length of a power nap,' says Schuppli. Beyond these basic sleep stats, the scientists also tabulated how the length of one resting bout influences the next, based on the many instances where they were able to follow the same orangutans across two or more days. They further compared the time spent in nests against environmental and social variables like temperature, rainfall, the proximity of other orangutans, length of daily travel, and amount of food eaten. They found that the orangutans don't seem to make up for a shortened night's sleep with more rest the next night. Instead, they compensate with naps. For every hour of lost nighttime nest rest, the apes showed a 12.3 percent increase (about 10 extra minutes) in their amount of daytime dozing. 'There's some kind of nap quota they're maybe trying to fulfill,' Schuppli explains. The population of orangutans followed in the study is unique in its routine tool use and level of sociality—both things that require a lot of cognitive energy. Thus getting enough sleep is likely especially important in this group, she adds. [ Related: These orangutans indulge in a spa-like skincare routine. ] Many scientists have observed orangutans and other primates over the years, following and meticulously recording their daytime activity. But this new research proves that understanding nighttime inactivity can similarly illuminate our understanding of our closest relatives on the tree of life. 'It is cool to start to actually dig into the almost half their lives that they're asleep,' Alison Ashbury, lead study author and also an evolutionary biologist at the Max Planck Institute, tells Popular Science. 'This whole question of sleep in wild animals is becoming a bigger research topic, as we get more technology and we're able to actually [examine it],' she says. Among all the variables examined, the largest single determiner in how long an individual spent in its nest each night was the presence or absence of other orangutans. For every additional, so-called association partner nesting nearby, an orangutan's sleep period was about 14 minutes shorter. The primary driving factor here seemed to be wake-up time. 'They get out of their nests earlier when they're with others… as soon as the first one leaves, everybody leaves,' she notes. Schuppli and her colleagues are not yet sure why orangutans opt to sacrifice rest for social sleep, but it could be because it reinforces bonds during waking hours, as observed in a 2024 study of baboons. Temperature also played a significant role, with extremes reducing rest periods. 'As it gets colder at night they sleep less, and as it gets hotter during the day they sleep less. So there's some sort of ideal range for sleeping,' just like in humans, says Ashbury. Plus, the more an orangutan traveled during the day, the less they got to sleep, generally because of a later bedtime. Relatably, on rainy days, the apes napped more. The study authors were unable to measure the orangutans' sleep directly, relying instead on the proxy of nest time. So, it's possible the exact sleep numbers would differ if actual snooze time was easily quantified, without disturbing the wild primates. It's also likely that there were differences night-to-night in quality and depth of sleep that the researchers weren't able to capture, as well as environmental variables beyond the scope of what they assessed. Yet all in all, the results highlight just how critical sleep and socializing are for orangutans, and how the environment can shape restorative rest. What applies for other apes is best kept in mind for ourselves as well, says Schuppli. 'You shouldn't be ashamed if you need a nap during the day.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Killer whales seen grooming each other
A discovery of unique killer whale behavior may be the first documented time a marine species has been seen using and creating tools for something not food-related. The finding was made in Washington by the Center for Whale Research, and it wouldn't have happened without the diligence of researchers. 'It was almost like puzzle pieces coming together because we started noticing with the great drone camera, but we were unsure if it was something new, a one-off or two-off situation, if it's just something weird they're doing, they do weird things all the time,' said Rachel John, a researcher with the Center for Whale Research. Over several periods between April and July 2024, researchers such as John, Dr. Michael Weiss, and others watched as a whale would cut a piece of kelp loose, pin it on another Orca, then rotate its body to roll the kelp on the other whale. In some instances, the other Orca would return the favor. 'This is a major part of their social lives… we are now seeing this behavior more times than we are not,' Weiss said. The team has dubbed the behavior 'allogrooming,' and while they haven't been able to definitively show the purpose, they theorize the whales use kelp to care for each other's skin. 'We have found some evidence that whales with more dead skin are more likely to engage in this behavior, but we also need to see if they engage in this behavior enough, and whether they start to effectively remove dead skin,' Weiss said. 'It's also a case of tool manufacturing or tool fashioning. Both of those things are quite rare in animals generally and particularly rare in marine mammals.' It's the first documented case of tool use and tool creation by a marine species, according to the Center for Whale Research. CWR also says it could also potentially be the first occurrence in which a tool is created by an animal that benefits two animals at the same time, and the first use of a tool by an animal using their body, rather than an appendage. 'It's quite remarkable the way they managed to manipulate this kelp. It requires coordination between the two whales,' Weiss said. 'Their ability to coordinate their movements, to sense where the kelp is, and to have, not hand-eye coordination, but the physical ability to move their bodies the way they need to is really impressive.' The discovery was made thanks to new drones the Center acquired after a grant from the Rose Foundation. Weiss and his team are continuing to look into the behavior as they study other aspects of killer whales as well. So far, Weiss says it's almost certainly a learned behavior that is distinct in the J, K, and L pods that make up the Southern Resident Orcas. The transient Biggs Killer Whales that migrate through the Puget Sound and Salish Sea do not exhibit the same behavior, despite cutting kelp free and moving through bull kelp forests. 'We also want to look over time to see if whales who do this behavior together are more likely to then show other kind of cooperative behaviors, like hunting together and sharing food and other forms of social interaction to really demonstrate more clearly whether or not this behavior helps build social bonds,' Weiss said. The Center for Whale Research is a non-profit organization predominantly supported by public donations. For more information, you can visit their website.
