In a groundbreaking development, researchers from the SETI Institute, known for their endeavors in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, have reported what might be the first conversation between humans and humpback whales. Venturing into a humpback feeding area off the coast of Alaska, the team, led by Dr. Brenda McCowan from UC Davis, engaged in an interspecies communication experiment. Using recorded whale noises played through an underwater speaker, the researchers initiated contact. To their amazement, a humpback whale named Twain responded by approaching and circling their boat, engaging in a 20-minute exchange characterized by the whale matching the interval variations of each playback call. This unique endeavor is not just about talking to whales but serves a larger purpose—to develop communication filters applicable to potential interactions with extraterrestrial societies, a primary focus of study at SETI.
Dr. Laurance Doyle, a coauthor from the SETI Institute, highlights the connection between this study and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, emphasizing that the assumption of extraterrestrials being interested in contact aligns with the observed behavior of humpback whales. This groundbreaking attempt at interspecies communication provides valuable insights into the communicative complexity of non-human species, using the mathematical principles of information theory to analyze rule structures embedded in received messages. As the researchers move forward, they plan to study non-audio communicative behavior in humpback whales, such as the creation of bubble rings in the presence of humans. This approach promises a more dynamic tool for understanding animal communication, enabling exploration beyond traditional passive methods and potentially influencing the future of biology.
