Overview

• Researchers documented whales snapping off sections of bull kelp and rolling them between partners’ bodies in repeated allokelping sessions.
• High-resolution drone footage collected between 2018 and 2024 uncovered the behavior after nearly fifty years of study failed to register it.
• All age classes and both sexes were seen allokelping, with individuals often pairing with close relatives or similarly aged pod members.
• The kelp’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties likely support skin health, while the grooming ritual appears to strengthen social bonds.
• The finding underscores the urgency of conserving this culturally unique population, which numbers fewer than 80 individuals.