Josephine Hubbard

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have long been known to generate bubbles by physically striking the air–water interface or releasing air through the blowholes or mouth.

1 Introduction Identifying traits that facilitate innovative and flexible behavior is crucial for understanding how animals cope with environmental change and exhibit resilience to adversity. When conditions are variable, flexibility in behavior can be advantageous due to quick within-generation responses compared to those shaped by natural selection (Price et al. 2003).

New Results doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.05.527130 Abstract Here we report on a rare and opportunistic acoustic "conversation" with an adult female humpback whale, known as Twain, in Southeast Alaska. Post hoc acoustic and statistical analyses of a 20-minute acoustic exchange between the broadcast of a recorded contact call, known as a 'whup/throp', with call responses by Twain revealed an intentional human-whale acoustic (and behavioral) interaction.