Whales and dolphins show distinctive human traits

Scientists say sperm whales, a star tourist attraction off Kaikoura, may be equal to humankind in intelligence.

Scientific evidence is piling up that whales, dolphins and porpoises are truly out of the ordinary in terms of their intelligence.

A growing number of studies strongly suggest that whale and dolphin brainpower is matched only by the higher primates, including man, according to a new review of the scientific literature by one of Britain's leading save-the-whale campaigners.

It means that the potential impacts of whaling may be far greater than they appear, and we should make a new approach to the conservation of these species which takes into account their intelligence, societies, culture - and potential to suffer, says Mark Simmonds, director of science for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

In a new scientific paper Mr Simmonds surveys recent cetacean research and highlights observed examples of whale and dolphin behaviour. For instance, captive animals have been shown to be able to recognise themselves in a mirror, which was previously known to be the domain only of humans and the great apes.

Mr Simmonds reports that dolphins can "point" at objects with their heads to guide humans to them, and they can also manipulate objects spontaneously, despite their lack of fingers and thumbs.

There is a well-documented use of tools in an Australian population of wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, he says.

"The animals [almost exclusively females] are often seen carrying sponges on the ends of their beaks, probably to protect them whilst they forage in the sediments on the sea floor where spiny sea urchins might otherwise cause puncture wounds."

They show remarkably human-like emotions, ranging from joy to grief to attentive care of the hurt. Mr Simmonds quotes a case of a 30-strong pod of false killer whales which remained with an injured colleague in shallows for three days, exposing themselves to sunburn and the risk of stranding, until the injured animal died.

Group living is at the centre of cetacean existence, perhaps because the sea has few refuges from predators, and many species "have nothing to hide behind but each other".

It has led to the evolution of many types of sophisticated cooperative behaviour, from hunting, to young males banding together to secure mating partners.

And there is an "emerging but compelling argument", Mr Simmonds says, that some species exhibit culture - information or behaviour that is acquired through social learning. This may range from the complex songs and calls to foraging strategies.

Mr Simmonds points out that after commercial whaling was put on hold in 1986, some of the devastated populations have recovered, but some have not. It is plausible, he says, that the whalers destroyed "not just numerous individuals, but also the cultural knowledge that they harboured relating to how to exploit certain habitats and areas".

Where the jury is still out, he says, is on whale and dolphin language. "What were previously regarded as 'living marine resources' - and typically, widespread species distributed across an inexhaustible sea - should now be recognised as unique individuals, communities, societies and cultures and valued as such," he concludes.

Whales and NZ

Whales, dolphins and porpoises belong to a group of mammals called cetaceans.

Of the 38 cetaceans found in New Zealand waters, 22 are whales, including sperm whales, which attract thousands as they pass Kaikoura on their migratory trail.

The waters around New Zealand are rich with foods the mammals need.

- INDEPENDENT