As teams of humpback whales, referred to as pods, migrated south between August 2021 and October 2022, a staff of researchers monitored their actions, making the invention.
“On all occasions of sand rolling, the whales were observed on video to be slowly moving forward with their head first into the sand followed by rolling to one side or a full roll,” Marine ecologist Dr Olaf Meynecke mentioned.
“During the different deployments, the sand rolling was observed in the context of socialising. The behaviour was either following courtship, competition or other forms of socialising.”
The whales had been monitored and filmed utilizing suction cup trackers which had high-definition video cameras built-in into them.
Marine Biologists noticed the pod of whales absolutely and partially rolling their our bodies round within the sand on the seafloor, in about 45 metres of water.
The exercise offers social and well being advantages for the whales.
“Humpback whales host diverse communities of skin bacteria that can pose a threat for open wounds if bacteria grow in large numbers,” Meynecke mentioned.
“Removing excess skin is likely a necessity to maintain a healthy bacterial skin community. Humpback whales can remove some barnacles and skin through surface activity such as breaches but not all.”
Barnacles can drag whales down and trigger them to lose vitality.
Marine biologists additionally observed that the exfoliation benefited the ocean’s ecosystem, as they noticed small fish feeding on the useless pores and skin cells that fell off the whale’s pores and skin.
Source: www.9news.com.au
