Overview

• Researchers analyzed 12 bubble-ring events off Southeast Alaska, documenting 39 rings produced by 11 individual humpback whales during friendly human encounters.
• The whales released rings six to ten feet in diameter and actively manipulated their size and depth, distinguishing the behavior from feeding or mating bubbles.
• None of the observed incidents involved aggression or prey, with whales approaching boats and swimmers in a curious, nonthreatening manner.
• Study co-author Fred Sharpe says the deliberate bubble-ring gestures represent a novel, nonvocal form of communication rooted in cognitive sophistication.
• The WhaleSETI team intends to incorporate these findings into Drake's Equation models to refine strategies for detecting and interpreting potential extraterrestrial signals.