Heads Together
$200.00 USD
When sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) engage in extended social interaction, they communicate with a large repertoire of acoustic calls. They also seem to relish tactile contact.
Pictured here are four mature whales within the same social unit rubbing their heads together as they clicked, clacked, squeaked, popped and buzzed with gusto.
There is little doubt in my mind that exchange of information was taking place. Recent research has demonstrated that individual whales have specific vocal signatures, i.e., they have unique names. The only conceivable reason for having names is so individuals and groups can keep track of who’s who, and who said/ did what.
Physical contact during socialization—characterized by lots of rubbing together, particularly of heads—perhaps serves to reinforce individual relationships and underscore the content of chatter, but it could also just feel good. That’s certainly the impression I have from watching whales spend time together like this.
Note also the impressive musculature of the whales’ bodies, evidenced by the grooves running the length of their flanks. There is a lot of power in those bodies!
This is a Limited Edition Collector's Print in a series of 50. Each print is numbered and chopped with my logo. Sizes listed are the dimensions of the printed image in inches (see FAQ for equivalent sizes in centimeters). There is an additional white border around the image to allow for framing. A complete list of image and paper sizes can be found in the FAQ.
Pictured here are four mature whales within the same social unit rubbing their heads together as they clicked, clacked, squeaked, popped and buzzed with gusto.
There is little doubt in my mind that exchange of information was taking place. Recent research has demonstrated that individual whales have specific vocal signatures, i.e., they have unique names. The only conceivable reason for having names is so individuals and groups can keep track of who’s who, and who said/ did what.
Physical contact during socialization—characterized by lots of rubbing together, particularly of heads—perhaps serves to reinforce individual relationships and underscore the content of chatter, but it could also just feel good. That’s certainly the impression I have from watching whales spend time together like this.
Note also the impressive musculature of the whales’ bodies, evidenced by the grooves running the length of their flanks. There is a lot of power in those bodies!
This is a Limited Edition Collector's Print in a series of 50. Each print is numbered and chopped with my logo. Sizes listed are the dimensions of the printed image in inches (see FAQ for equivalent sizes in centimeters). There is an additional white border around the image to allow for framing. A complete list of image and paper sizes can be found in the FAQ.
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