Researchers were able to communicate with the humpback whale in its language, which may represent the first of its kind.
A team of scientists from the SETI Institute, the University of California Davis, and the Alaska Whale Foundation played a recording of a humpback whale in the water through an underwater speaker. A female humpback whale named Twin approached and traced circles around the boat, responding to the recording.
The SETI Institute reported this last week in a press release.
“We believe this is the first communication exchange between humans and humpback whales in their own language,” said Dr. Brenda McCowan, one of the study’s authors and a member of the University of Davis University.
The SETI team has been studying the communication systems of humpback whales with the goal of developing filters for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence [non-humaine].
Co-author Dr Fred Sharpe of the Alaska Whale Foundation added: “Humpback whales are highly intelligent, have complex social systems, make tools and communicate extensively through melodies and social calls.”
During the 20-minute exchange, Twain reacted to every cue in the recording.
“Because of current limitations in technology, an important assumption in the search for non-human intelligence is that extraterrestrial beings would be interested in establishing contact and would therefore target human receptors,” explained Dr. Lawrence Doyle, of the SETI Institute and co-author of the article. “This hypothesis is certainly supported by behavioral Humpback whales.”
