That's good fighting, but killer whales succumb to these gentle 'guardians'

In May 2012, researchers observed a pod of killer whales attacking a gray whale and its young in Monterey Bay, California. After struggling for a while, the baby whale did not survive. However, what happened next took them by surprise.

Two humpback whales were at the "scene" when the killer whale (orca) attacked the mother of the gray whale. But after the baby was damaged, about 14 other humpback whales appeared - apparently to "help" and prevent the "oceanic monsters" from eating the young whale.

Humpback whale - "guardian angel" of the ocean.

Alisa Schulman-Janiger, a whale researcher at the California Killer Whale Project, described the situation at the time: "A humpback whale remained in place next to the young whale's body, head facing up. it, standing just one body away, squealed and thrashed its tail every time an orca approached to feed on it."

For six and a half hours, the humpback whales persistently "held" and chased away the killer whales with their oars and tails. Even when dense swarms of krill appear nearby—humpback whales' favorite food—they don't give up their efforts or let their guard down.

Scientists cannot understand why humpback whales face such danger and expend so much energy protecting a completely different species. However, they know that it is not an isolated case. Between 1954 and 2016, there were 115 recorded encounters between the humpback whale and its relative, the killer whale, according to research published in the journal Marine Mammal Science.

This protective behavior has been repeated in various parts of the world, but the 2012 confrontation was perhaps the most intense yet, according to Schulman-Janiger.

The "guardian god" of the ocean

The most likely biological explanation for the orca's behavior to protect other species from the sharp teeth is that humpback whales receive some benefit . Scientists know that despite their close biological relationship, killer whales love to hunt humpback whales.

However, the chance of the "evil gods" of the ocean only exists when the giant animal is small. Once mature, humpback whales can overwhelm an entire colony of killer whales with their size and strength.

Humpback whales and killer whales have long been known as 'rivals'.

Therefore, their protective action may be rooted in an instinct to help the young survive through the weakest stage. Sometimes, humpback whales will protect juveniles of the same species because they tend to live together if they are related by blood - adult whales are often close to where their mothers live.

The problem is, of killer whale encounters over the past five decades, only 11% have been to protect humpback whales. Another 89% of times, humpback whales become the guardians of seals, sea lions, porpoises and many other marine animals.

There was even a case of humpback whales trying to save a pair of moonfish from becoming "appetizers" for killer whales.

However, Schulman-Janiger points to an extremely interesting sign. Not all humpback whales interfere with orcas' hunting, but those that do, many have scars from childhood - when they had to fight orca to survive. Is there a psychological factor here that makes them "dislike" bloodthirsty people and choose to side with the weak?

A seal is being protected by the "guardian of the ocean" from an orca attack.

Research has also shown that these humpback whales respond to killer whales' swarm calls and rush to intervene; Sometimes, they don't know what species the victim is after spending a lot of energy swimming to the rescue. It seems that humpback whales believe that "it is better to save by mistake than to miss" , if the rescued victim is its young, all the better, otherwise it's okay.

A pure heart?

However, some whale experts believe their motivations are somewhat more complex, involving altruism .

Lori Marino, an expert on Whale intelligence, said: "While this is very interesting, I don't think it's too surprising for a member of the Whale order to help another species."

Humpback whales are extremely intelligent species, capable of complex thinking

She also said that humpback whales are extremely intelligent species, capable of complex thinking, decision making, problem solving and communication. So, she argues, such intelligence is enough to cause them to have benevolent responses to other species.

This is reinforced by the fact that humpback whales are not the only intelligent animals serving as "guardians" of other species. Dolphins have also been repeatedly reported to have helped dogs, whales and even humans out of harm's way.

Whether humpback whales become " guardians" simply for biological gain or for their intelligence and pure heart, it is important that we still learn a lot about these creatures. this wonder of the ocean.