Humpback whales communicate with us using “smoke” rings

Humpback whales can produce underwater rings for multiple reasons. One of them is to communicate with us! Image via Simon Hilbourne.

Did you know that humpback whales can produce spectacular rings underwater? In August 2024, scientists discovered humpback whales use this strategy to capture their prey – small crustaceans and fish – and feed. And on June 5, 2025, a group of scientists from the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis said humpback whales also create rings to get our attention. But what are they trying to tell us? We talked with Jodi Frediani, co-lead author of the most recent study, a marine wildlife photographer and U.C. Davis affiliate. Watch the interview here.

The researchers published their study in the peer-reviewed journal Marine Mammal Science on May 15, 2025.

Humpback whales produce underwater rings for multiple reasons

Firstly, humpback whales use bubble rings to feed. But they don’t create a simple ring. They create and modify different types of rings according to their needs. For example, they can blow a ring with more rings inside. Furthermore, these intelligent animals can control the number and size of the rings, as well as the space between them.

Thus, scientists confirmed whales use bubble nets as tools that they adapt for hunting according to the circumstances. These nets usually have the form of a spiral. In addition, humpback whales can create these complex structures together, as a cooperative hunting strategy. But males can also create bubble trails and bursts when competing to escort a female whale.

And now, scientists have documented for the first time how humpback whales approach humans in a friendly manner to play and socialize. The scientists said they create bubble “smoke” rings the same way a person that smokes creates figures with the smoke: just for fun! Co-lead author Jodi Frediani, marine wildlife photographer and U.C. Davis affiliate, said:

Humpback whales often exhibit inquisitive, friendly behavior toward boats and human swimmers. We’ve now located a dozen whales from populations around the world, the majority of which have voluntarily approached boats and swimmers, blowing bubble rings during these episodes of curious behavior.

How do they create these rings?

The techniques humpback whales use to produce the rings are quite different from each other depending on their use. When hunting, these animals produce bubble nets. As Frediani from UC Davis told EarthSky, the hunting bubble rings are:

… concentric ‘rings’ formed from a series of bubble bursts being blown in a spiral net. They are an artificial construct. [These rings are] part of a spiral getting smaller and smaller as the whale swims in tighter circles while releasing bubble bursts.

But the bubble “smoke” rings humpback whales create when interacting with humans are true rings with a clear center. As Frediani told EarthSky, humpback whales create them:

… using the musculature of the blow holes in a different fashion. Kind of like humans blowing bubbles under water by simply releasing air from the mouth versus blowing a bubble ring under water, which requires a good bit of practice, pursing the lips and then using a sharp push of the tongue releasing a forceful burst of air that forms a spinning ring.

Sociability, intelligence and communication skills

It’s no coincidence that the most intelligent and social animals have more complex communication systems. For example, the most sociable of monk parakeets talk more and learn from the other members of their groups, and end up possessing a richer language. Likewise, bonobos – the most sociable apes – also have complex communication skills. In fact, they seem to communicate in a way scientists once thought was unique to humans.

With this in mind, whales – creatures that are intelligent, sociable and can communicate through calls, jumps, fin slaps, eye gestures and the production of bubble rings – are great candidates for studying non-human intelligence.

Furthermore, the low-frequency sounds they produce can travel up to 12,500 miles (20,000 km), allowing populations separated by long distances to communicate. It’s no wonder the SETI Institute uses the incredible humpback whale as an example in its theories of extraterrestrial intelligence.

A system to communicate with aliens?

It seems that social animals desire to interact with other members of their own species and also with other species. Laurance Doyle of the SETI Institute, a scientist and co-author on the paper, said:

Because of current limitations on technology, an important assumption of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is that extraterrestrial intelligence and life will be interested in making contact and thus target human receivers. This important assumption is certainly supported by the independent evolution of curious behavior in humpback whales.

The Whale-SETI team was created to study intelligent, non-terrestrial (aquatic), and non-human communication systems. Its goal is to develop filters that help analyze cosmic signals for signs of extraterrestrial life. According to co-lead author and UC Davis affiliate Fred Sharpe:

Humpback whales live in complex societies, are acoustically diverse, use bubble tools, and assist other species being harassed by predators. Now, regarding a candidate signal, we show them blowing bubble rings in our direction in an apparent attempt to playfully interact, observe our response, and/or engage in some form of communication.

Will we ever be able to understand what humpback whales are trying to tell us when they approach us? Will we be able to develop a communication system that would help us establish contact with intelligent life outside our planet? What form might this communication take?

Bottom line: Humpback whales are intelligent and sociable. A new study looked at how they approach humans and produce bubble rings to interact with us.

Source: Humpback Whales Blow Poloidal Vortex Bubble Rings

Via SETI Institute

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