Bottlenose whales may look after each other when they’re sick

Check your subscription status, update your details and more. Bottlenose whales may look after each other when they’re sick Northern bottlenose whales are more likely to stick together when individuals are poorly or emaciated Bottlenose whales have more companions when they are sickly than when they are seemingly healthy Northern bottlenose whales have stronger social bonds when they are starving or sick. This discovery was a surprise, because often in mammals, social connections are associated with better health.

But during tough times, these whales may rally round and care for others in need. That idea fits with early whalers’ descriptions of the animals’ behaviour. In a report from 1882, David Gray, commander of the whaling steamer Eclipse, said he had observed thousands of northern bottlenose whales, and noted they had a peculiar response to injured individuals.

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