Orcas may be able to make and use tools, with a little kelp from their friends

New research shows southern resident killer whales grooming each other using kelp they’ve modified, and researchers think it’s the first time researchers have documented marine mammals making tools.

New research shows southern resident killer whales grooming each other using kelp they’ve modified, and researchers think it’s the first time researchers have documented marine mammals making tools.

The research, which was published Monday in the journal Current Biology, documents about 30 instances in which whales rolled stalks of kelp against one another, peeling away dead skin. They also documented the whales acquiring stipes of kelp and using their teeth to shorten kelp and fashion it into a proper shape for the grooming behavior.

“They’re not just finding objects in the environment and using them as a tool. They’re finding objects, modifying objects and using them as a tool,” said Michael Weiss, an author of the study who is a research director at the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, Washington.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/orca-killer-whales-kelp-tools-rcna213895


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