Mutual play observed in new Australian research

The dolphins supported slow and gentle behaviors such as bowing (they surf the wave in front of the whale while swimming), curved (they make slow movements with a small direction of change), tour (continuously swimming next to the other animal) and belly.

In at least eight cases, there was friction or sex when the dolphins deliberately touched the whales around the head area.

Each of the whale species reacted differently to dolphin behavior. Humpback whales mostly moved their pectoral fins towards the dolphins and presented their bellies, rolled and moved on the contrary. Gray whales were mostly rolled and southern right whales showed pectoral slaps.

Meynecke said that interactions are defined as positive because whales use the same behaviors for sacrifice and friendly socialization in their species.

In one case, a whale slowly lifted a dolphin, and said that Meynecke could be either inter -species social game or the whale that there may be mother care behavior.

Between 2004 and September 2024, the research looked at 197 unique posts on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Tiktok, X and Youtube, and there was an increasing number since the last five years.

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Meynecke, “Many of them are basically drone images and this gives us this air view, so we see much better where the whales are placed in dolphins,” he said.

The study also included two underwater videos from the suction camera labels in the humpback whales showing the blows of the bottlenecks following the whales on the ocean base, which they continue to take close approaches not only on the surface but also on the surface, but also possible touch and social games.

Baleen whales were observed that they had previously played with logs, jellyfish, rope and sea turtles, and the wild dolphins were playing with seaweed, puffer fish and plastic.

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