Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) Novel Bubble Helix Play Behavior

Abstract

Abstract - Cetaceans demonstrate considerable ingenuity in their play with bubbles. Both wild and captive cetaceans have been reported to manipulate self-produced bubbles (Delfour & Aulagnier, 1997; Gewalt, 1989; Kuczaj, Makecha, Trone, Paulos, & Ramos, 2006; Kuczaj & Walker, 2006; McCowan, Marino, Vance, Walke, & Reiss, 2000; Pace, 2000; Paulos, Trone, & Kuczaj, 2010; Tizzi, Castellano, & Pace, 2000). The spread of unique and novel play behaviors across a group may involve social learning as well as trial and error learning (Kuczaj et al., 2006; Kuczaj, Yeater, & Highfill, 2012; McCowan et al., 2000; Pace, 2000). We report on a form of bubble play in belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) that has not been previously reported. Four belugas at the Shedd Aquarium were videotaped producing bubble helices, smooth, long “helical tubes” that were created by the animal producing a pressure vortex that caused bubbles to merge and elongate based on pressure variation in the vortex (Marten, Shariff, Psarakos, & White, 1996). These observations revealed that belugas create novel bubble play behaviors that are transmitted among members of the group through social learning. When a beluga engaged in bubble helix play following the play of another beluga, it often acted on the bubble in the same manner as the most recent player, consistent with the notion that the second beluga was mimicking the behavior of the first beluga. Kimalu, a calf, was more likely to both observe and interact with Miki, his older brother, during bubble helix play bouts than with Naya (no relation), or Mauyak, his mother. Dolphin calves have also been found to be more likely to imitate the play behaviors of older more competent peers (Kuczaj et al., 2006; Kuczaj et al., 2012). Consistent with previous analyses of cetacean play (Kuczaj et al., 2006), belugas also varied the complexity of the play behavior in order to keep the game stimulating.