For the first time, scientists have documented a unique behavior in the animal kingdom that provides new insights into non-human intelligence and potential clues in the search for intelligent life from other worlds.

The intriguing discovery, made by scientists with the SETI Institute in collaboration with scientists at the University of California at Davis, involves large bubble rings produced by humpback whales. These bubble rings are not unlike the smoke rings produced by tobacco enthusiasts, which the cetaceans make while interacting with humans.

Although known from past observations, the researchers say this behavior, which had never been significantly studied until now, could represent a unique form of interspecies communication.

Bubbling Bursts of Communication?

In the past, humpback whales have been observed using bursts of bubbles under a range of different circumstances, including corralling prey and during mating, when males produce trails of bubbles while escorting females.

In the recently documented behavior, researchers with the WhaleSETI team say humpback whales also generate these bubble rings while interacting with humans during friendly encounters.

More broadly, the WhaleSETI team’s research aims to unravel “the intricacies of humpback whale communication as a unique avenue to contribute valuable data towards the determination of Drake’s Equation Factor F i ,” a key factor in the famous equation that deals with the fraction of planets with life on which intelligent life emerges.

According to a release describing the discovery, the team says the use of bubble rings in this manner offers new potential insights into broader studies involving non-human intelligence, while also supporting the ongoing search for intelligent extraterrestrial life.

In the past, WhaleSETI has incorporated studies of acoustic analysis of whale vocalizations, observations of associated behavior, and other factors to unravel the mysteries of interspecies communication.

“By integrating our findings into the broader context of Drake’s Equation, we aspire to advance our understanding of the factors influencing the emergence of communicative intelligence in extraterrestrial civilizations,” the group says in a statement on its website.

Searching for Extraterrestrials

Dr. Laurance Doyle, a SETI Institute scientist who co-authored a new paper detailing the findings, said in a statement that current technological limitations have led SETI researchers to operate on the presumption that intelligent aliens, if they exist, will likely be interested in contacting other forms of intelligence, and may potentially attempt to do so with humans.

“This important assumption is certainly supported by the independent evolution of curious behavior in humpback whales,” Doyle said.

Dr. Fred Sharpe, the co-lead author of the team’s paper and a UC Davis Affiliate, says that humpback whales also exhibit other behaviors that make them ideal for SETI-related studies, which include not just their use of bubble “tools”, but also their acoustic diversity, living together in what researchers view as complex undersea societies, and also unique interactions that include assisting other marine animal species when they are being attacked by predators.

“Now, akin to a candidate signal, we show they are blowing bubble rings in our direction in an apparent attempt to playfully interact, observe our response, and/or engage in some form of communication,” Sharpe said.

In the team’s study, they examined a dozen instances where humpback whales were observed producing bubble rings, in which 11 individual whales made nearly 40 rings.

“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,” said co-lead author Jodi Frediani, a marine wildlife photographer and U.C. Davis Affiliate. Frediani notes that this species of cetaceans is well known for displaying inquisitive and often friendly behavior towards humans in various circumstances, including while swimming or traveling in boats.

Earthly Proxies for Extraterrestrial Studies

The WhaleSETI team likens their research to unrelated studies where scientists rely on studies of extreme environments like Antarctica as proxies for locations humans haven’t yet visited, like Mars.

In a similar fashion, studying non-human intelligence and communication used by aquatic species on Earth can help determine what characteristics signals produced by extraterrestrials might have.

In the past, a separate study by the team looked at attempts to communicate with an Alaskan humpback whale using recordings of humpback whale vocalizations, to which an adult female the researchers dubbed “Twain” responded positively.

The team’s new research paper, titled “Humpback Whales Blow Poloidal Vortex Bubble Rings,” appeared in Marine Mammal Science on May 15, 2025.

Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. He can be reached by email at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow his work at micahhanks.com and on X: @MicahHanks.