Whales and dolphins have an 'intriguing' relationship, study finds. What to know

Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald on Aug 13, 2025

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MIAMI — The relationship between whales and dolphins has long been shrouded in mystery.

But, new research reveals that — despite their vast difference in size — these marine mammals often enjoy playful interactions, much like a Great Dane romping with a Chihuahua.

Scientists at Griffith University in Australia came to this conclusion by analyzing dozens of interspecies encounters from around the world, according to a study published on Aug. 12 in the peer-reviewed journal Discover Animals.

“It is clear such interactions happen much more often than we previously thought,” Olaf Meynecke, one of the study authors, told McClatchy News. “These interactions cannot be underestimated and may well play a part in the well-being of whales and dolphins.”

How the study was conducted

The study reviewed 199 separate exchanges between 19 different species of dolphins and baleen whales captured in videos and photos. These interchanges took place off the coast of 17 countries, including the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.

They were then categorized by behavior, including jumps, belly rolls, tail slaps, bow riding and even petting.

Humpback whales were involved in the majority of the encounters, participating in 68% of them, while bottlenose dolphins took part in 51%. In both types of marine mammals, adults accounted for most of the activity.

The findings

“There were a number of surprising interactions,” Meynecke said.

The most frequent interactions involved dolphins positioning themselves near whales’ heads — a behavior similar to bow riding — which could be understood as an efficient and playful mode of movement for dolphins.

Each whale species also tended to interact with dolphins in their own unique way.

For example, humpbacks gestured with their pectoral fins toward dolphins on 172 occasions. They also showed off their undersides 141 times.

Meanwhile, grey whales rolled in the presence of dolphins 56 times, and southern right whales slapped their pectoral fins on five occasions.

Researchers also obtained two videos recorded from cameras situated on the animals, which revealed some noteworthy encounters.

In both instances, dolphins could be seen accompanying whales to the bottom of the ocean, paying close attention to each other and maintaining eye contact.

Meynecke said it “certainly was very interesting to see that dolphins continue their behaviour below the surface, following the whales all the way to the bottom in close proximity with the head turned towards the whales head.”

In total, 25% of the interactions were described as positive and mutual exchanges.

Why do they play?

“There have been enough events documented that showed positive interaction on both sides, that we can say there is a something both species get out of this,” Meynecke said.

Play behavior could allow for sensory stimulation, help the animals develop relationships and contribute to their well-being.

Creativity — a characteristic of intelligent species — could also be driving this behavior.

Still, though, not all of the interactions were positive.

“Whales (clearly) show avoidance behaviour such as tail slaps or moving away from the dolphins if they don’t want the interaction,” Meynecke said.

Further study is required to better understand the complex interspecies dynamics between whales and dolphins, researchers concluded.

“Having the opportunity to document these observations and observe some of the behavioural patterns like bow riding by dolphins and close touches was intriguing,” Olivia Crawley, the other study author, said in a university news release. “I hope that this study can serve as a foundation for future studies.”