Understanding Whale Behavior
Whales have been an area of interest within marine biology, and there are many researchers trying to understand the motivations behind intelligent action by these creatures. The general pattern of whales in terms of migration and feeding is known, but not much is known about the social interaction and emotional intelligence of whales. For example, humpback whales are often seen doing some of the most complex social behavior, such as breaching, tail-slapping, and vocalizations. While these behaviors can sometimes be related to mating, communication, or hunting practices, the precise motivations behind each action are not always clear.
In the case of the whale that wouldn’t leave the boat, experts initially considered a few potential explanations. The first possibility was that the whale was exhibiting curiosity. Whales often approach boats and even people purely out of curiosity. When whales have never had an unpleasant experience with humans in the past, they sometimes do this just for their own interest. The researchers assumed that perhaps the whale wanted to explore the boat or the people inside. But as time went on, the crew started realizing that the whale was not as non-aggressive as it was initially perceived.
There is yet a second explanation, which gave credence with the group of researchers: this whale is distressed. Sometimes, even other animals like whales may also be abnormal when they feel unwell or confused, in this case, with abnormal behavior. If the reason was that it was suffering or having difficulties navigating this particular water area, its pattern changed. They started to think how they could take proper care of the whale by observing its movement and whether it is under stress. Because the whale continued to tailgate the boat, concerns for the health and wellness of the whale became issues that weighed on the crew’s minds.
