How humpback whales are risking their lives to rescue vulnerable seals from killer whale attacks
Boffins are speculating if it is altruism or a show of dominance
HUMPBACK whales are rescuing seals from packs of hungry orcas, according to biologists.
Boffins speculate it is a natural instinct to protect, as orcas are known prey on humpback whale calves.
Humpback whales have been spotted rescuing other mammals from killer whales
Whalewatchers across the world have been spotted the beasts carrying out animal alturism in the oceans, but Biologist Robert Pitman decided to investigate further.
During a research assignment in the Arctic Peninsula he snapped a photo of a seal nestled under the flipper of a humpback whale out of the reach of a hungry orca pod.
But this wasn't a one off, the biologist had spotted a pair of humpback whales squaring up to orcas circling a seal just a week before he took the photo.
The photos raised questions about the intentions of the humpbacks; were they heeding the seal's distress calls, or did they have their own ulterior motive.
"The image appears to show a humpback whale protecting a Weddell seal from a pod of orca," said Lucy Babey, survey and conservation manager at whale and dolphin conservation charity ORCA.
Speaking to MailOnline, she added: "In fact there have been numerous accounts of humpback whales protecting an array of species from similar situations; for example a pod of humpback whales were observed in Monterey, California intervening and protecting a gray whale calf from an orca attack.
";Therefore, it is unlikely that the humpbacks are ‘protecting’ a specific species."
Writing in magazine, Dr Pitman and biologist John Durban described seeing a pod of orcas ready to attack a seal when a humpback swept the animal onto its chest out of harms way.
The described the behaviour as allomaternal - a term used when an animal provides maternal care to another which is not its own.
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Orcas have also been known to feed on humpback whale calves, if they get separated from their mother.
This could help explain why whales are so keen to come to the rescue of other mammals in distress.
As part of Dr Pitman's research, published in , he look at 112 interactions between humpback whales and killer whales over more than sixty year.
That, combined with other research, has led researchers to believe that the excited noises made by killer whales before they go in for the kill could be what attracts the humpbacks to them.
Earlier research by Dr Pitman and his colleagues revealed a number of defensive techniques used by humpback whale mothers to protect their young.
The used coral reefs as protection and pushed the calves into shallow waters.
In some cases mothers even lifted the calves out of the water onto their backs to keep them out of harms way.
This may indicate that these selfless acts of bravery are actually a reflex from protecting their own young.
Speaking to Dr Pitman explained: "A simple behavioural rule like 'interfere with attacking killer whales' may prevent a related calf from being killed…and it may also help out other species at times.
Ms Babey added: 'This behaviour is viewed as a form of altruism. However, as humpback whales are themselves the subjects of orca attacks and are known to fight back at orcas instead of fleeing, it is thought that this behaviour is a way of humpbacks displaying their dominance to the orcas.'
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