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Humpback whales were previously believed to be less societal than other giant , but a new work found that they really make friendships that last for years .
The research worker determined that the same whale reunited each year during the feeding seasons , according to the Mingan Island Cetacean Study , which was release in the diary Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology .
Whales play an important role in fertilizing the ocean, by carrying nutrients from the deeper water toward the surface, where they defecate. Meanwhile, fish and zooplankton excrete nutrients in a way that pushes them deeper into the water.
Using exposure to identify the whales , the researchers discern the same individuals fare back to meet up in the Gulf of St. Lawrence , where they feed and float together every year during the summertime season . While they also reunify in groups , the giant sidekick disjoined into male / female or distaff / female pairs , the scientists witness .
The long recorded friendships span up to six twelvemonth and happen between mature female whales . Friendshipsbetween female person and malesnever last this long , harmonise to the study . Friendships between females have been picture to be beneficial to the hunchback , as those that had the most static and long - lasting relationships gave parturition to the most calves .
" I was very surprised by the draw out duration , " Christian Ramp , a researcher with the Mingan Island Cetacean Study evidence the press . " I was expecting stable associations within one season , not beyond . I was particularly surprise by the fact that only females form these bonds , especially females of alike years . "
Researchers are unsure of how exactly the baleen whales are able to locate and identify one another every class . Ramp theorizes that they heavyweight seek out and find their friend by using sounds calledwhale songs .
Scientists already sleep with that serrate whales , such as sperm hulk , make strong relationships and associate degree with one another , but they had no previous records of baleen heavyweight such as hunchback uphold long - go attachment .
Baleen whale are the largest of all whale and filter their food from piddle through baleen plates that resemble farseeing , fine - jagged comb . Because of their specialised filter - fertilize mechanism , these gentle giants mostly consume plankton and smallschools of fish .
The Mingan Island Cetacean Study group , found in St. Lambert , Canada , has been document whale demeanor in the Gulf of St. Lawrence since 1997 . In cooperation with researcher from Germany and Sweden , the group also analyse whale migration pattern data that extend back 30 years .
The report ’s findings posture a doubt regarding whether baleen whales ' social groups are being snap apart by commercial-grade whaling .
