Humpback Whales Blow Vortex Bubble Rings to Potentially Communicate with Humans

Humpback whales have a new behavior that’s got researchers intrigued. Scientists from the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis observed humpbacks crafting massive bubble rings during friendly encounters with humans, possibly in an attempt to communicate.

This discovery stems from 12 episodes involving 11 individual whales, who collectively produced 39 bubble rings in places like Hawaii, the Dominican Republic, Mo’orea, and the U.S. Atlantic coast. Unlike their well-known bubble nets used to trap fish or the competitive bubble bursts males deploy during mating season, these rings appear to serve no practical purpose. Instead, they’re blown when whales voluntarily approach boats or swimmers, suggesting a deliberate interaction. Jodi Frediani, a marine wildlife photographer and UC Davis affiliate, describes the scenes as almost whimsical: “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, blowing bubble rings during these episodes of curious behavior.”

Frame-by-frame analysis revealed some whales using a single nostril to craft them, a feat that hints at remarkable motor control for creatures weighing up to 40 tons. Drone footage further confirmed the behavior’s exclusivity: thousands of hours of observation in Hawaii, Alaska, Antarctica, and Bermuda showed no bubble rings when humans were absent. This suggests the whales are directing these displays at us, perhaps as a form of play or a tentative hello. Frediani notes, “The whales appeared relaxed, moving slowly, often lingering after producing a ring, possibly watching our reactions.” One whale even churned out 11 rings in a single session, a repetitive act that feels almost performative.


The WhaleSETI team, which blends marine biology with the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, sees these interactions as more than just cetacean theatrics. By studying humpback communication—both vocal and non-vocal, like these bubble rings—they aim to build filters for decoding potential alien signals. Laurance Doyle, a SETI Institute scientist and co-author, draws a compelling parallel: “Because of current limitations on technology, an important assumption of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is that extraterrestrial life will be interested in making contact and so target human receivers. This assumption is certainly supported by the independent evolution of curious behavior in humpback whales.”


These bubble rings aren’t just random exhalations. Unlike dolphins, which use various techniques to spin their vortex rings, humpbacks rely solely on their blowholes, with no visible cues like head nods or inflated vestibules before release. The rings, described as poloidal vortex structures, rise through the water column in stable, mesmerizing loops, sometimes partially enveloping a swimmer or boat. In one episode, a whale blew a ring directly beneath a vessel, while another seemed to play with seaweed before crafting its display.

Fred Sharpe, a behavioral ecologist and co-lead author, emphasizes the broader implications: “Humpback whales live in complex societies, are acoustically diverse, use bubble tools, and assist other species being harassed by predators.” The team’s earlier work, including a 20-minute “conversation” with a humpback named Twain using playback calls, showed whales can match human signals with precision.

For the researchers, each ring is a data point in a larger quest to understand how intelligent beings—terrestrial or otherwise—might reach out. As Doyle puts it, “Recognizing play and curiosity in other species teaches us how to listen.” The WhaleSETI team hopes these findings will refine algorithms for parsing cosmic signals, using humpbacks as a proxy for extraterrestrial minds.
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