Orca Whales Captured 'Making Out' in the Wild For the First Time in 'Exceptionally Rare' Kissing Session

NEED TO KNOW

Scientists have recorded wild orcas "tongue-nibbling" for the first time, sharing the evidence in a recent study

The behavior is considered "extremely rare" by scientists and was previously only seen by juvenile orcas in captivity

Scientists believe that the kissing-like behavior likely reinforces "social bonds" between the animals

Scientists have recorded the wild orcas engaging in "tongue-nibbling" — a social behavior similar to "making out" or French kissing — for the first time ever.

Details on the documentation of this rare behavior appear in a new study published in the Oceans journal on June 11. Prior to the study, which includes images of two young wild killer whales "tongue-nibbling" in the waters near Norway, the behavior was only witnessed in a handful of captive orcas.

According to the study, "tongue nibbling" is a "socially affiliative behavior" which likely reinforces "social bonds" — particularly among juvenile orcas. It is also a behavior that is deemed "exceptionally rare," the study's co-author, Javier Almunia, told Live Science.

"Orca caretakers at several facilities are aware of the behaviour, but its prevalence is extremely low — it may appear and then not be observed again for several years," he told the outlet.

Oceans Journal

The "tongue-nibbling" behavior documented in the study was observed by a group of snorkelers under the supervision of expedition leaders on January 11, 2024, in the Kvænangen fjords, located in northern Norway.

The snorkelers observed two killer whales "engaging in a prolonged mouth-to-mouth interaction" that lasted almost two minutes. The snorkelers noted that the orcas "approached one another and maintained contact between the anterior portions of their heads" as they interacted.

"At that time, some observers on board remarked that the animals appeared to be 'kissing' beneath the boat—a description identical to that provided independently by the guests who recorded the event in Tverrfjorden," the study said.

Photos captured of the event and shared in the study show one orca opening its mouth as the other encloses its mouth around the other animal's tongue. Scientists noted in the study that "one individual protruded its tongue while the other made gentle nibbling movements."

Scientists said after recording the behavior, they "consulted" with three professional divers and underwater videographers with extensive experience documenting killer whales, who noted that they had not witnessed the "tongue-nibbling" before.

Oceans Journal

Senior marine mammal trainers at Loro Parque confirmed that they had observed this behavior among "four individuals housed at the facility," although they had not witnessed it in "subsequent years," according to the study.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The study noted that there were "significant parallels" between the orcas' "tongue-nibbling" and "mouth-to-mouth interactions" in belugas. The scientistsshared that those behaviors often involved "younger individuals" and served an "affiliative function."

"This could suggest that, given cetacean anatomy — particularly the adaptation of limbs to the marine environment — oral contact may serve as a more versatile means of social communication than in terrestrial mammals," Almunia told Live Science.

However, scientists also noted that they were uncertain why the orcas exhibited these behaviors, and further research would be needed to understand "tongue-nibbling" definitively.

Luke Rendall, a marine mammal researcher at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told Live Science that the behavior "may be affiliative, it might be a form of begging, that is trying to stimulate food transfers, it might even be a form of grooming, somehow having a cleaning function."

Read the original article on People