We already knew that dolphins call out the “names” of their companions with characteristic whistles and that whales serenade thousands of miles. Now, a team of scientists from the University of Monash (Australia) has seen gray seals using another form of underwater communication: surprisingly loud ‘claps’.
In the images, a male gray seal is clearly seen clapping underwater while swimming near the Farne Islands in northeast England , producing a sound as powerful as if it were a shot or loud click . This is the first time a seal has been seen clapping fully underwater with its front flippers.
This discovery has been published in the journal Marine Mammal Science and marks the first time this behavior has been recorded in the wild, without being promoted by human training or gifts from zookeepers.
“The applause was incredibly loud and at first it was hard for me to believe what I had seen,” study co-author Ben Burville said in a news release. “How could a seal clap so loudly underwater, without air to compress between its fins?” Wonder the experts, who say that these marine mammals clap their hands during the breeding season as a show of strength in the face of potential competitors and also a romantic call for potential partners.
Referencia: Percussive underwater signaling in wild gray seals. David P. Hocking Ben Burville William M. G. Parker Alistair R. Evans Travis Park Felix G. Marx First published: 31 January 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12666
