How do whales show their emotions?

Whales produce viscous tears (article in French) that serve to protect their eyes from debris. Are these tears also used to convey sadness? We don’t think so. Undoubtedly however, cetaceans do have other ways of expressing their emotions to others in order to communicate what they are feeling.

The topic of emotions in animals has been extensively studied by biologists and psychologists. Indeed, emotions have long been viewed as exclusive to humans. With his book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals published in 1872, Charles Darwin was one of the first scientists to draw a parallel between what humans and animals feel. He observed that the means used to express different emotions were similar from one species to another, especially between the most closely related species. For example, before attacking, cats and dogs may arch their backs, retract their ears, show their teeth and/or raise the hair on their backs. Additionally, both humans and the great apes can smile, especially when they are relaxed. These observations supported Darwin’s theory of evolution postulated a few years earlier.

But how do whales – which don’t have the muscles needed to smile, not to mention ears to perk up, eyebrows to frown, or fur coats to ruffle – express their emotions? Since whales communicate primarily through sound, it is reasonable to believe that their emotions are also expressed through their vocalizations. But, scientists are only beginning to decipher the complex and varied languages ​​of cetaceans. As a result, it will probably be a long time before their emotions are fully decoded.

However, in the late 1990s, a group of researchers believed they heard bottlenose dolphins laughing! While a few dolphins were jostling each other for fun, researchers heard alternating pulsing sounds and whistles in a combination never before recorded. These laughs are probably a signal to other individuals that there is no real confrontation or threat. Further, these sounds have never been heard in the case of real fighting between dolphins. Their conclusion is supported by the existence of similar situations in chimpanzees and gorillas, animals’ whose laughter is much more like that of humans than that of dolphins.