The rare interspecies interaction reveals whale society is more sophisticated — and more playful — than previously thought.
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Over the past half-century, there has been a sea change in the way we appreciate whales — as well as their fellow cetaceans, dolphins and porpoises. Although our historical relationship as predators and prey is regrettably continuing in some parts of the globe, most people now have some understanding of how complex and fascinating these creatures are, and know they are imbued with an intelligence that overreaches that of almost every other species on the planet.
To tip the balance in their favor, especially when hunting larger and more elusive prey, sperm whales coordinate and cooperate. They descend to their feeding grounds in pairs or small groups to form a search cordon, a line of whales spaced over half a mile of ocean, a smart solution for locating clusters of prey. Finding a dense patch of squid is only part of the battle, however.
The two species are tolerant of one another, but their different lifestyles and prey preferences mean that they seldom associate. What might have decided the issue was that the dolphin had a pronounced curvature of the spine, twisting its body just behind the dorsal fin. It didn’t look like an injury , but rather something the dolphin had carried since birth. Nonetheless, it had survived, against the odds, to reach adulthood.
Sperm whales live in matrilineal social groups, the core of which is formed by related females, often comprising a grandmother, her daughter, and their offspring. Sons, on the other hand, live in these groups only as juveniles. As they approach sexual maturity, the males break from their social group and adopt a more solitary existence — although it’s not unusual for males to form into loose bachelor groups with one or more other males.
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