A new study by SETI and UC Davis researchers reveals humpback whales exhibiting complex bubble-ring communication with humans. This unprecedented interspecies interaction provides new frameworks for recognizing intelligent behavior, potentially transforming how we identify extraterrestrial life. The findings offer tangible parallels for decoding potential alien communication methods.

Scientists from the SETI Institute and UC Davis have recorded humpback whales creating intricate bubble rings during friendly encounters with humans — a behavior resembling a person blowing smoke rings. While humpbacks are known to use bubbles for hunting and social competition, this marks the first documented instance of bubble rings being used in peaceful human interactions. The behavior may represent play, communication or curiosity.

The discovery supports the WhaleSETI initiative, which studies non-human intelligence to refine the search for extraterrestrial life. “A key assumption in SETI is that alien intelligence would seek contact,” said co-author Dr. Laurance Doyle. “Humpback whales’ curiosity reinforces this idea.”

Published in Marine Mammal Science, the study “Humpback Whales Blow Poloidal Vortex Bubble Rings” examines 12 events where 11 whales produced 39 bubble rings. Researchers compare this work to using Earth’s extreme environments as models for Mars — here, aquatic intelligence helps develop filters for detecting alien signals. As marine biologist Karen Pryor noted, bubble patterns in whales represent a unique communication method absent in land mammals.

The team includes experts in animal behavior, bioacoustics and AI-assisted communication analysis. Their prior research, published in PeerJ, explored interactive playback with humpback whales. The study was funded by the Templeton Foundation’s Diverse Intelligences Program.

This finding highlights the complexity of humpback social behavior while advancing our understanding of interspecies — and potentially interstellar —communication.

For more details, visit SETI Institute.