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There's an interesting video of a humpback whale being freed from a net: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcXU7G6zhjU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcXU7G6zhj

by mrob 10y ago

There's an interesting video of a humpback whale being freed from a net: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcXU7G6zhjU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcXU7G6zhjU We don't know for sure if it really is showing appreciation at the end, but humpback whales are social animals so IMO it's plausible. It certainly makes a big effort at breaching despite being trapped for a long time and despite there being no other whales nearby. Why would it do that if it's not trying to communicate with the humans?

b6 10y ago
Interesting! I don't know, of course, but it strikes me that it could just be pure happiness. After I give my dog a bath outside and let him off the leash, he tears around the yard.
csydas 10y ago
Not to be a wet blanket, but Wiki suggests a few other reasons that it might breach that might be in line with being stuck for some time in a dingy net. Or maybe the whale was just having a lot of fun now that it could move. Or maybe it's a really big thank you like you suggest :) If it's either of the latter though, I do find that interesting behavior regardless.
steveax 10y ago
That's an amazing vid. There's also a radiolab episode with an account of divers rescuing a humpback whale from a net: http://www.radiolab.org/story/91701-animal-minds/ http://www.radiolab.org/story/91701-animal-minds/
HelloMcFly 10y ago
Probably scratching a large number of itches it developed while stuck in the net. But, it's a win for everyone either way.