Featured Image Credit: Barney Moss via Flickr
By Emily Persico
In the summer of each year, thousands of long-finned pilot whales flock to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia followed closely by the marine biologists who research them. PhD Student Joana Augusto and her fellow academics were among their ranks last year, and what they discovered was quite unique. Pilot Whales “babysit” each other’s young— that is, unrelated adult whales will fulfill the role of parent in the absence of a calf’s biological mother.
This “babysitting,” or alloparental care as the scientists are calling it, is not unique to pilot whales. Many other marine mammal species also care for each other’s young. Yet, upon closer inspection, pilot whale observations revealed some peculiarities. Whereas the female usually plays the role of stand-in mom in most marine mammal species, the pilot whale babysitters were overwhelmingly male.
While Augusto does not have a definite answer as to why males take on this role, babysitting calves in general is highly beneficial for the whole population.
“[The calves] might be learning social behaviors… not just from their mother, but from the other individuals surrounding [and spending time with] them,” explains Augusto. In addition, young calves in the open ocean are vulnerable to attack, and there is very little opportunity cost for an adult who decides to accompany the young.
To learn about another species of seemingly selfless whales, click here. Read more about the research study here.