Skip to content
All news
  • All news
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Corporates
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent bycatch
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Science
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
  • Stranding
This dead right whale calf had injuries consistent with a vessel strike, including fresh propeller cuts on its back and head, broken ribs, and bruising. Photo: FWC/Tucker Joenz, NOAA Fisheries permit #18786

Emergency Right Whale Petition Seeks Overdue Protections From Vessel Strikes

09/28/2023
This dead right whale calf had injuries consistent with a vessel strike, including fresh propeller...
Icelandic hunting vessels in port

Whaling boat kept in port after more hunt cruelty exposed

09/15/2023
Icelandic whale hunting fleet One of the whaling boats involved in the latest hunts in...
Commerson's dolphin

New Important Marine Mammal Areas added to global ocean conservation list

09/15/2023
Commerson's dolphin Experts from a number of countries have mapped out a new set of...
Fin whale shot with two harpoons

Whalers kill just days after Iceland’s hunt suspension is lifted

09/08/2023
Whalers in Iceland have claimed their first victims since the lifting (just a few days...
Load More loader

Research reveals pilot whales babysit young of other whales

By George Berry | 11/18/2016

A new report in Marine Mammal Science on the findings of a study of pilot whales off Nova Scotia, Canada, has shown that adult whales in the population look after the young of unrelated other whales. While this type of babysitting, know as “alloparental care”, has been observed in other social mammals, it is the first time it has been studied in pilot whales.

The whales have been observed from whale-watching boats since 1998 and using various techniques, including photo-identification, the researchers were able to record how calves would interact with different adult whales. Alloparenting was considered to be taking place when the whales were seen with at least one whale other than its mother. In some years, the activity was recorded in over 80% of calves, with both male and female whales taking part in the caring. Several other species of whales and dolphins that live in social groups, such as sperm whales, orcas and bottlenose dolphins also take part in similar activities.

Characterizing alloparental care in the pilot whale (Globicephala melas) population that summers off Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada
Authors: Joana F. Augusto, Timothy R. Frasier, Hal Whitehead
Marine Mammal Science 
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12377/full

Posted in News and tagged ,