Scientists have seen evidence that orcas in the North Pacific use seaweed to give each other “treatments”. According to the researchers, the behavior resembles a massage.
Last year, between April and July, the scientists used drones to record a group of orcas in the Salish Sea, an inland sea near the Canadian city of Vancouver. The researchers saw the animals grab pieces of kelp. This is not unusual: orcas are often seen with pieces of seaweed along their bodies.
What is new is that the orcas also use pieces of seaweed in pairs to rub against each other. The researchers suspect that this is a form of social behavior, according to research published on Monday.
Professor Darren Croft of the University of Exeter describes it as kelp massages. In an interview with BBC News, lead researcher Michael Weiss compares the behavior of the orcas to that of monkeys grooming each other.
The scientists also take into account that these “seaweed massages” are also good for the skin and hygiene of the orcas. For example, there are indications that animals with flaky skin use kelp more often than other orcas. It is conceivable that they are itchy, says Croft.