For the first time in history, researchers have captured wild orcas performing ‘tongue-nibbling’, an extremely intimate social behavior compared to ‘making out’ or ‘French kissing’. A clip of the same is now going viral on social media and leaving people amazed.
This is unique behavior that has been reported by a new study that appeared in June 11 in the journal Oceans. Before this, interactions of this nature were only seen among captive killer whales for a very few instances. The study features stunning photographs of two juvenile wild orcas “tongue-nibbling” off Norway’s coast.
Characterized by scientists as a ‘socially affiliative behavior’, this strange interaction is believed to solidify ‘social bonds’, particularly between younger orcas. As study co-author Javier Almunia discussed with Live Science, the behavior is ‘exceptionally rare’.
He clarified, “Orca caretakers at a number of facilities are familiar with the behavior, but its frequency is very low, it can occur and then not be seen for many years.”
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Seen by Snorkelers in Norway
The encounter was seen by snorkelers who observed two killer whales ‘involved in an extended mouth-to-mouth contact’ for almost two minutes. At all times, the orcas were seen to have “approached each other and sustained contact between the anterior parts of their heads.”
The research captured that, “At the time, some of the observers aboard noticed that the animals were ‘kissing’ around the boat, a description completely identical to that which was given before by the guests themselves who wrote about the sighting in Tverrfjorden.”
Pictures in the research depict one orca with its jaws open while the other enclosed it gently, softly making nibbling actions on its tongue. As researchers put it, “one individual protruded its tongue while the other made gentle nibbling movements.”
After the encounter, the researchers interviewed three expert divers and underwater videographers with extensive experience of tracking killer whales. None of them had previously witnessed this ‘tongue-nibbling’ behavior.
Furthermore, senior Loro Parque marine mammal trainers attested to having witnessed this action in ‘four individuals housed at the facility’, but noted they hadn’t seen it ‘in subsequent years’, as cited also by the study.
