It was found that humpback whales are the real superheroes Ocean, who are concerned about not only their needs, but also the lives of other inhabitants of the ocean. Several years ago, scientists have observed a group of orcas attacked the gray whale and its calf. The result of this "meeting" in the death of the baby. However, the story has taken on a completely inexplicable turnover.
During the attack, two humpback whales were observed. After the gray whale calf was killed, sailed to this place for about 14 humpback whales, killer whales eat without letting its prey. They are "on duty" near the little whale dead about six and a half hours, protecting it and fighting off killer whales. And even when there appeared a flock of copepods, krill, which are the favorite food of humpback whales, they continued to guard the dead little whale.
Despite the monstrous appearance, humpback whales can be advocates of other animals.
Why humpback whales were their lives at risk (because of killer whales is not in vain its fame as killer whale), and spend so much effort defending representative of an entirely different kind, still remains unclear. One thing is clear - this is not an isolated incident of such behavior of humpback whales. Over the last 62 years, there were more than a hundred cases of collisions between whales and humpback whales. As I have told a California researcher Alisa Schulman-Yaniger, such behavior of humpback whales extends to the entire population of these animals, and seen in various parts of the globe. Similar scenes watched and Alice herself, even though they were not as dramatic.
According to experts, the most logical to explain this chivalrous behavior to some benefits obtained humpback whales preventing hunting whales. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the killer whales often attack the young humpback whales, which at this age rather vulnerable. But when humpbacks grow, they become strong enough to cope with killer whales. Presumably this behavior may have developed as a way to help members of their species to pass the most dangerous period of life. It is possible that, to save other species, humpback whales think that the lives of these animals, too, is under threat.
Orca has earned a reputation for good reason killer whale. Confront her in the ocean may be except that humpback whales.
In this theory, there is only one weak point of all the incidents that happened to watch the scientists over the past fifty years, only 11% of cases of killer whales attacking humpback whales, preferring to hunt porpoises, sea lions, seals and other marine mammals. But there was a case when Gorbachev tried to save whales from ordinary fish-moon.
Therefore, it is not so simple. And since not all humpback whales interfere orcas hunt, we can assume that it is done only Gorbachev, who in his youth themselves become the target of attacks of killer whales. The researchers also suggest that humpback whales can hear the sound calls of killer whales to hunt, and respond to discharge the same, even without knowing who they have to save. According to some experts on whales, humpbacks may well be inherent altruism and normal, especially since they are capable of resolving complex problems, decision-making and complex reasoning.