It isn't just humans that like to help each other. Whales too are pretty huge on heart---of a certain kind. Humpback whales, therefore, can stop other killer whales from attacking smaller whales, sunfish, sea lions and even seals.
A number of animals do try to protect their own species from unseemly attacks, but the humpback whales go one step further. In a study published in Marine Mammal Science, it was explained in a report that the humpback whales can travel for miles to get within killing distance of killers. They may hover around them for about six to seven hours.
"Interspecific altruism, even if unintentional, could not be ruled out," the researchers report. Humpback whales are the "only cetacean that deliberately approaches attacking [mammal-eating killer whales] and can drive them off."
Scientists studied humpback whales in 2009, triggered by the observation of Robert Pitman, a marine ecologist at the US National Marine Fisheries Service. He underwent an incident in Antarctica, when he discovered a school of killer whales chasing a Weddell seal.
A humpback whale just jumped out of the water and used it flippers to protect the seal so that it could run away. Another pair of humpback whales was trying to keep away killer whales from a grey whale calf, though they did not manage to succeed.
Why do they do that? Why are humpback whales altruistic?
Although killer whales make deadly and silent kills, they do vocalise their approach towards the prey. When they hear the sounds, humpback whales identify them as attack signals, and head towards the killers so that they stop them from swallowing the sea creatures.
It is amazing to discover that in about 85 percent of cases, the prey may not even be another humpback whale. In fact, experts suggest that more examination can answer the question whether humpback whales are indeed altruistic or not.
A number of experts, along with Pitman, thus studied 31 cases in which humpback whales came in between killer whales and their prey. They protected them from threatening sea creatures.
Paul Jepson, a vet at the Zoological Society of London who specialises in marine mammals, had something contrary to say. He explained that although examination shows that the humpbacks are altruistic, they are more likely to protect their own kind, rather than just show concern for others.
"It might be that it's a way in which humpbacks can tell killer whales 'don't mess with us.' Rather than being pure altruism it could be that it is in the interests of humpbacks to deter killer whales," Jepson said.
