As intimidating as they seem up close, humpback whales often see humans as friends, not foes. The sociability of these gentle souls is perhaps best represented by a curious behavior they exhibit when approaching humans, in which they create large bubble rings that look like “smoke rings” as they rise to the surface. 

A recent study published in Marine Mammal Science suggests that humpback whales may be sending bubble rings like messages to humans as a way to break the ice. Humpback whales have been known to use bubbles as tools, but these new observations reveal a playful side to their skills. Their friendly bubble-blowing behavior is the latest sign that whale intelligence is extremely complex and in need of further research.

Humpback Whales and Humans

Humpback whales are known for being calm and non-aggressive during encounters with humans. In fact, these whales rarely attack humans unprovoked, and any damage they inflict upon vessels may simply be an unfortunate mishap caused by their poor eyesight. 

Humpback whales even show interest in humans, displaying inquisitive behaviors such as spy hops, when they vertically raise their head above the water to see what’s going on around them.

Humpback whales are not only curious creatures, but resourceful ones, too. They use an array of bubble-blowing techniques — from their blowhole or mouth — for various reasons. Bubbles are sometimes used in displays of agonism, or competition, among male humpback whales that are vying to be the primary escort for a female. Other times, whales use “bubble-nets” to corral prey, creating underwater curtains that act as barriers, trapping smaller animals like juvenile salmon and krill.

Read More: Big Eyes, Blurry Vision: Why Humpback Whales Struggle to See Clearly

Whales Socializing With Bubble Rings

To get a glimpse of how whales communicate, the new study explored 12 bubble ring production episodes that were obtained by citizen scientists and researchers. These events involved 39 bubble rings from 11 individual whales, examined through video and photo footage. 

The results, by and large, illustrate how humpback whales produce bubble rings as an inquisitive behavior while approaching boats. 

“Humpback whales often exhibit inquisitive, friendly behavior towards boats and human swimmers,” said co-lead author Jodi Frediani, marine wildlife photographer and UC Davis Affiliate, in a statement. “We’ve now located a dozen whales from populations around the world, the majority of which have voluntarily approached boats and swimmers blowing bubble rings during these episodes of curious behavior.”

Agonistic behaviors weren’t on display during any of the bubble ring episodes, meaning the whales were not aggressive and did not feel threatened. According to the researchers, the whales didn’t even show “mild forms of annoyance and evasion” such as diving away or increasing their swim speeds. 

On the contrary, the whales appeared relaxed in their movements. A plethora of playful activities accompanied the bubble ring episodes, including tail swishing and pectoral fin slaps. 

Understanding Whale Communication

The bubble ring episodes show how humpback whales try to get chummy with humans, but the true extent of this behavior still isn’t fully understood. 

Other species of whales similarly exhibit friendliness toward humans at times, like baleen whales and gray whales that approach and interact with boats. The way that whales communicate in the presence of humans also remains a perennial topic of interest for scientists; orcas, for example, seem to be capable of imitating human speech with clicks and whistles.

The bubble rings made by humpback whales could be one of these complex methods of interspecies communication. The researchers say there is room for future studies to find out how exactly these whales can change the structure of bubble rings with their blowholes, presenting certain gestures when interacting with humans.

The bubble ring episodes reinforce the idea that there’s still much to learn about humpback whales, as they continue to wow us with their exceptional intelligence and outgoing nature.

“Humpback whales live in complex societies, are acoustically diverse, use bubble tools and assist other species being harassed by predators,” said co-lead author Fred Sharpe, a UC Davis Affiliate, in a press release. “Now, akin to a candidate signal, we show they are blowing bubble rings in our direction in an apparent attempt to playfully interact, observe our response, and/or engage in some form of communication.”

Read More: Orcas Imitate Human Speech as a Way to Communicate With Us

Article Sources

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:

Jack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.