NATURE . WILDLIFE

WHALE WISDOM

50' (ENG, GER)

It has long been thought that cultural exchange is something that makes human society truly exceptional.

Whale culture is measured by the level of sharing of information. Clicking sperm whales, calling orcas, singing humpbacks; these all are forms of communication which sound intriguing to renowned filmmaker and marine biologist Rick Rosenthal. Thanks to cutting-edge science, it has emerged that whales are not only intelligent, but use their intelligence to share knowledge and change their behaviour accordingly – for example, when orcas have learned to work together effectively using calls chasing giant schools of herring. On the other hand, humpbacks have learned to interpret the orcas’ calls and hijack the orcas’ carefully herded school of herring – resulting in a humpback feast. And each sperm whale has its own clicking sound, and thereby actively contributing to keep the pod together.