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Humpback whale underwater

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Kristjan Loftsson standing over one of the majestic fin whales he brutally killed. © Hard To Port

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Scientists hold groundbreaking ‘chat’ with a whale

Humpback whale

What is believed to be the first ‘conversation’ between humans and humpback whales has taken place.

Researchers held the ‘chat’ with the whale in a groundbreaking encounter that represents an amazing breakthrough in the field of non-human intelligence.

The team from the SETI Institute (Whale Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) used a recorded humpback ‘contact’ call that was played into the ocean via an underwater speaker. 38-year-old humpback whale, Twain, responded and joined in the ‘conversation’ in response to the team’s greeting.

He approached and circled their boat during the 20-minute exchange during which he frequently matched the interval variations between each of the research team’s calls.

Learn more about how smart whales and dolphins are (and why we should be protecting them) here