A TALE OF FRIENDSHIP
Some whales, like orcas, stay together with their family pod their whole lives.
Humpback whales, the stars of Skjalfandi Bay, have different social preferences. They are solitary animals, and spend most of their time alone.
But did you know that sometimes, humpback whales form friendships between each other?
In feeding grounds, humpback whales sometimes pair up with each other. They can spend hours, days, or sometimes even the whole season together.
Researchers have even found that some ‘whale friendships’ between female humpback whales can last years! In this case, they leave each other during migration and breeding, and find each other again during the feeding season.
In Skjalfandi Bay, we observe this behaviour, too. A notorious example were ‘Dakota’ (right, with the spotted fluke) and ‘Georgina Melasserata’ (left, black fluke), who were seemingly inseparable during the last weeks. They often swam side by side, and at one point, even breached together! Even when not close, they were found in each other’s vicinity. If Dakota was spotted, you could count on Georgina being somewhere close.
We don’t know if their friendship will last a lifetime, or that they have separated already. In fact, we don’t even know if they are both female – and male/female bonds have been found to last only for shorter periods of time.
In any case, it’s fun to recognise the different individuals we can see in our bay, and to study their behaviour.
Come join us on a tour and spot the different humpback whales yourself!
Text & Photos: Louisa Mooij (guide)
