Latest news with #JavierAlmunia
Daily Mirror
23-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mirror
Alarming warning of killer whale attacks on British coast after close shave
Two sailors sent out a mayday distress call after their French yacht Azurea was attacked by killer whales off the coast of Spain on Monday, sparking concern about orca British sailors have been warned today about the risk of being rammed by killer whales after orcas attacked a yacht in Spain. Skippers should switch off their engines if they encounter killer whales in water off the coast of Britain, experts have stressed. Two sailors sent out a mayday distress call on Monday after their vessel called Azurea was attacked by orcas off the coast of Spain. The French yacht was rammed at about 2pm local time, two nautical miles from the town of Deba. Rescuers who saved the pair, one of whom was a 60-year-old man, said such incidents were "uncommon" so high up in the Atlantic. However, an expert at a British university did not rule out that similar incidents could occur in future. Professor Volker Deecke, an academic at University of Cumbria in the conservation of marine mammals and behavioural aspects of conservation biology, said: "UK sailors transiting the hotspots should definitely familiarise themselves with the guidance. The same guidance applies for sailors encountering any killer whales in Cornish waters." The academic told the Daily Telegraph the guidance given to sailors in the Strait of Gibraltar includes to stop the boat engine and lower the sails immediately if orcas are spotted, turn off autopilot and echo sounders and not to make loud noises in an effort to scare the creatures away. Other advice includes avoiding hotspots in the first place and, most crucially, to stay in shallow waters of about 20 meters in depth. Earlier this month, wildlife experts confrmed the first sighting of Iberian orcas in Cornish waters. This again has led to concern British sailors should take care in waters around the Southwest of England in particular. It is thought incidents like Monday's close shave have reduced off the coast of Spain following efforts by authorities to remind sailors of the safety protocol. Dr Javier Almunia, director of the Loro Parque Foundation, told The Telegraph: "The behaviour has reduced, at least in the Gibraltar Strait, by around 90 per cent following the recommendations of the Spanish authorities." But killer whales are known to approach vessels from the stern and hit the rudder before losing interest once they have stopped the boat, in a phenomenon that scientists have struggled to fully explain. Some marine biologists believe that the whales may be attacking out of boredom. Prof Deecke, whose Master's degree at a Canadian university was about killer whales, added: "During interactions, the animals remain cool, calm and collected without any of the behavioural signs of aggression such as splashing or vocalisations."
Perth Now
03-07-2025
- Science
- Perth Now
Killer whales filmed kissing in remarkable footage
Killer whales have been filmed kissing for the first time. The smooch was caught on camera by scientists on a snorkelling trip in Norway. In a two-minute clip, the orcas - also known as killer whales - are seen engaging in three separate 'kisses', lasting 10, 26, and 18 seconds each. One orca extends its tongue while the other appears to gently mouth or nibble it. After the last 'kiss', the animals part ways and swim off in different directions. Scientist Dr. Javier Almunia explained that "tongue-nibbling is exceptionally rare" and said that the behaviour had only been seen in orcas in human care. Although tongue-nibbling has not been recorded in other species, the expert did state that mouth-to-mouth contact has been spotted between Beluga whales. He told Live Science: "This behaviour appears to serve affiliative purposes and may play a role in reinforcing social bonds or resolving conflicts, akin to grooming or reconciliation behaviours in other highly social species."
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Orcas Caught 'Kissing' For Two Minutes With Tongue
We've recently seen orcas foray into the world of fashion by wearing dead salmon as hats. Now a pair of orcas has been caught 'French kissing', taking their apparent mockery of human habits towards another flavor of gross. The whales' slobber sharing was incidentally captured by citizen scientists who observed and recorded the wild orcas (Orcinus orca) nibbling on each other's tongues in Norway's Kvænangen fjords. Maybe the marine mammals used some kelp grooming tools earlier to prepare for this date? "The interaction… lasted nearly two minutes and involved repeated episodes of gentle, face-to-face oral contact," describe marine scientist Javier Almunia, director of the Loro Parque Foundation, and colleagues. Such behavior in orcas had only been observed in captivity previously, as recorded in a 2019 study (video below). "We documented the pattern 'gentle tongue bite', where an animal touches the other's tongue with his teeth but does not bite it," the researchers explained at the time. Related: Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) have also displayed mouth-to-mouth interactions in the wild. During a study on captive belugas, kissing behaviors were mostly initiated by the young animals, suggestive of play that might help refine motor and social skills. Neither species showed any signs of aggression during these interactions. So, while researchers caution it is difficult to draw conclusions from a single observation, they suspect the orcas could be using this behavior to help maintain social bonds. Alternatively, the 'kissing' could be a form of social grooming – as seen in primates – or even a type of begging behavior, Almunia and team speculate. It might also be a cultural trend, a game passing through the pod like the dead salmon hats, which only seem to occur in one cultural group of orcas. Along with kelp or pebble grooming, other signs of distinct orca cultures include regional differences in their dialects, food preferences, and hunting techniques. A group in the Mediterranean has even developed a habit of attacking sailing yachts. Whatever the purpose behind an orca's kiss, the recent spate of unexpected behaviors discovered in orcas makes one thing clear: there's still so much we don't understand about the remarkable animals we share our world with. This research was published in Oceans. Microbe 'Flavors' Tell Octopuses Which Babies Deserve Their Care A Mysterious Blob of Cold Water Defies Ocean Heat – Now We Know Why Scientists Discover 'Goblin Prince' That Roamed With Dinosaurs
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Orca Whales Captured 'Making Out' in the Wild For the First Time in 'Exceptionally Rare' Kissing Session
Scientists have recorded wild orcas "tongue-nibbling" for the first time, sharing the evidence in a recent study The behavior is considered "extremely rare" by scientists and was previously only seen by juvenile orcas in captivity Scientists believe that the kissing-like behavior likely reinforces "social bonds" between the animalsScientists have recorded the wild orcas engaging in "tongue-nibbling" — a social behavior similar to "making out" or French kissing — for the first time ever. Details on the documentation of this rare behavior appear in a new study published in the Oceans journal on June 11. Prior to the study, which includes images of two young wild killer whales "tongue-nibbling" in the waters near Norway, the behavior was only witnessed in a handful of captive orcas. According to the study, "tongue nibbling" is a "socially affiliative behavior" which likely reinforces "social bonds" — particularly among juvenile orcas. It is also a behavior that is deemed "exceptionally rare," the study's co-author, Javier Almunia, told Live Science. "Orca caretakers at several facilities are aware of the behaviour, but its prevalence is extremely low — it may appear and then not be observed again for several years," he told the outlet. The "tongue-nibbling" behavior documented in the study was observed by a group of snorkelers under the supervision of expedition leaders on January 11, 2024, in the Kvænangen fjords, located in northern Norway. The snorkelers observed two killer whales "engaging in a prolonged mouth-to-mouth interaction" that lasted almost two minutes. The snorkelers noted that the orcas "approached one another and maintained contact between the anterior portions of their heads" as they interacted. "At that time, some observers on board remarked that the animals appeared to be 'kissing' beneath the boat—a description identical to that provided independently by the guests who recorded the event in Tverrfjorden," the study said. Photos captured of the event and shared in the study show one orca opening its mouth as the other encloses its mouth around the other animal's tongue. Scientists noted in the study that "one individual protruded its tongue while the other made gentle nibbling movements." Scientists said after recording the behavior, they "consulted" with three professional divers and underwater videographers with extensive experience documenting killer whales, who noted that they had not witnessed the "tongue-nibbling" before. Senior marine mammal trainers at Loro Parque confirmed that they had observed this behavior among "four individuals housed at the facility," although they had not witnessed it in "subsequent years," according to the study. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The study noted that there were "significant parallels" between the orcas' "tongue-nibbling" and "mouth-to-mouth interactions" in belugas. The scientists shared that those behaviors often involved "younger individuals" and served an "affiliative function." "This could suggest that, given cetacean anatomy — particularly the adaptation of limbs to the marine environment — oral contact may serve as a more versatile means of social communication than in terrestrial mammals," Almunia told Live Science. However, scientists also noted that they were uncertain why the orcas exhibited these behaviors, and further research would be needed to understand "tongue-nibbling" definitively. Luke Rendall, a marine mammal researcher at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told Live Science that the behavior "may be affiliative, it might be a form of begging, that is trying to stimulate food transfers, it might even be a form of grooming, somehow having a cleaning function." Read the original article on People
Scottish Sun
02-07-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Never-before-seen moment two frisky killer whales are filmed KISSING in incredible footage – and they even use tongue
Scientists described it as 'repeated episodes of gentle, face-to-face oral contact' PHWOAR-CA Never-before-seen moment two frisky killer whales are filmed KISSING in incredible footage – and they even use tongue THIS is the astonishing moment a pair of orcas was spotted kissing - with tongues - for the first time ever in the wild. The killer smooch was caught on camera by scientists during a snorkelling trip in northern Norway. Advertisement 4 Two orcas (also known as killer whales) were spotted kissing in northern Norway Credit: Javier Almunia, et al 4 One orca extends its tongue as the other gently nibbles it Credit: Javier Almunia, et al 4 The interaction lasted nearly two minutes Credit: Javier Almunia, et al The heart-warming interaction between the two orcas - also known as killer whales - took place in the dramatic Kvænangen fjords, about 68 miles northeast of Tromsø. In the nearly two-minute-long video, the orcas are seen engaging in three separate 'kissing' episodes, lasting 10, 26 and 18 seconds each. During these intimate moments, one orca extends its tongue while the other appears to gently mouth or nibble it. After the final 'kiss', the highly intelligent mammals part ways and swim off in opposite directions. Advertisement Read more tech news SHOCK & ORCA Pod of killer whales spotted in extremely rare sighting in the Channel In the paper published in the journal Oceans, researchers describe the two adult orcas as engaging in 'repeated episodes of gentle, face-to-face oral contact'. The snorkellers floated quietly and horizontally in the water - careful not to disturb the orcas - and filmed the interaction on a GoPro. Scientists call this tactile interaction 'tongue-nibbling'. Study author Dr Javier Almunia told Live Science that "tongue-nibbling is exceptionally rare", explaining that, until now, this behaviour had only been seen in orcas in human care. Advertisement While tongue-nibbling has not been recorded in other species, similar mouth-to-mouth contact has been spotted in belugas, according to Dr Almunia. He added: "This behaviour appears to serve affiliative purposes and may play a role in reinforcing social bonds or resolving conflicts, akin to grooming or reconciliation behaviours in other highly social species." Watch rare vid of 'glowing' albino killer whale as elusive real-life Moby Dick breaches waves leaving orca fan 'shaking' Mouth-to-mouth contact in orcas was previously recorded in 2013 at Loro Parque, a zoo on Tenerife. During that observation, 'one individual protruded its tongue while the other made gentle nibbling movements,' the study authors, Dr Almunia and colleagues, explain. Advertisement The zoo-keepers reported that tongue-nibbling behaviour had been noted in four individual orcas at the park. Mouth-to-mouth contact was first documented in captive orcas in a 1978 study by Paul Spong and Ingrid Visser, who suggested it plays a role in maintaining social cohesion. It comes as two pals on a fishing trip spotted what appeared to be a pod of killer whales in the Channel. David Hilton, 64, and Paul Bradshaw, 61, were angling off the South Coast when they saw several large creatures breaching the surface. Advertisement They appeared to be hunting dolphins in busy international shipping lanes, just five miles south of Plymouth, Devon. Orcas are found in oceans all over the world, but they are most commonly seen in the Pacific Northwest (US and Canada), Norway, Iceland and the Antarctic water. But sightings in the Channel are rare. The Channel is not a typical habitat for orcas as it is shallow and heavily trafficked. Advertisement 4 Sightings of orcas in the Channel are rare Credit: Getty
