When long-finned pilot whales sense the presence of a potential danger, they use synchronized swimming as a defense mechanism, an international team of scientists has discovered.
Scientists from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland studed the behavior of the approximately 300 members of the species currently living in the Strait of Gibraltar and Cape Breton in Canada.
Their goal, according to a November 23 statement, was to learn more about the whales’ social structure. They found the whale populations in each location were distinct.
“They swim in complete synchrony both in the Strait of Gibraltar and Canada. When sea traffic or whale watching vessels are nearby, the whole group collectively reacts to such external stimuli The researchers also discovered the pilot whales have a social structure that is based on permanent partnerships, meaning that they could spend their entire life with the same group of cetaceans without entering and exiting other groups like bottlenose dolphins do. The study also discovered the creatures’ diving behaviors can be impacted by the presence of aquatic crafts.
“As such, when we began observing the whales up close, they tended to spend quite some time on the surface. However, the longer we spent nearby, the longer they stayed under water,This behavioral change could affect their energy levels, since they then have to make more of an effort to protect themselves and their young. In turn this limits hunting time, which means that they cannot feed their young properly.”