Clever Orcas Fashion Kelp Loofahs to Exfoliate
Marine biologists in the north Pacific have observed orcas taking the killer whale version of a spa day: using kelp to massage each other. The behavior, which involves fashioning a tubular piece of seaweed and using it for a planned purpose, marks the first time a marine animal has been seen using tools.
The researchers used drones to spy on orcas in the coastal waters off Washington State, where they are seen selecting and biting off pieces of kelp, then placing the tube-shaped piece of seaweed in between another whale. The orcas then rub the makeshift “tool” between their bodies, as if using a loofah made for two.
Michael Weiss of the Center for Whale Research explains the odd behavior. “They'll use their teeth and the movement of their heads and their bodies to break off about a two-foot-long length of that kelp's stem, or stipe, then approach another whale and flip it onto their rostrum, or their kind of nose, and press that kelp against the side of their partner,” Weiss tells Live Science.
Weiss and his colleagues believe it is not only the first example of toolmaking by a marine animal, it’s also the first time tools used in the wild benefit two individuals at once. On top of that, it marks the first time a non-human animal has been observed manipulating a tool with its body core rather than with an appendage.
The scientists speculate that the behavior has a health or hygiene function, and they also think it is a form of social bonding. Orcas had been seen using elements of their environment before – as when wearing dead salmon for a hat, but that is believed to be more of a fashion statement than a practical application.
Clearly orca behavior is more complex than previously thought. There have been many examples of orcas attacking boats in recent years, for example. Now that the killer whales have figured out how to make and use tools, God help us all.
The researchers published their observations in Current Biology.
Photo credit: Center for Whale Research
