BEHAVIOUR 195 



repeatedly been observed in Killer Whales, Sperm Whales, dolphins and 

 others. In April 1956, when Porto Garibaldi fishermen caught a female 

 dolphin in a net, they were set upon by ten other dolphins and nearly lost 

 their lives. Luckily, they released the female just before the all-male 

 rescue party managed to capsize their small craft. The story was reported 

 in De Telegraaf oï 26th April, 1956, but the article did not say how the 

 fishermen, in spite of their distress, found time to make sexual distinctions 

 between their attackers. Still, the story of the rescue itself need not be 

 doubted, as those of us who have seen the beautiful French film taken 

 aboard the research ship Calypso will understand. In a memorable 

 scene of this film, twenty-seven female Sperm Whales come from miles 

 away to rescue an over-inquisitive calf which has been injured by the 

 ship's screw. In all such cases, the rescuers are unquestionably attracted 

 by distress signals, and the crew of the Calypso did in fact hear the calf 

 emitting such sounds. 



Mutual aid seems to occur in bigger whales also. Zenkovich (1956) 

 reports at least three cases of Humpback, Greenland and Grey Whales 

 supporting injured animals under the surface, until the helpmates them- 

 selves fell victims to the whalers. In the case of the Humpback Whale, this 

 assistance was rendered for forty minutes. In the case of the Grey W' hale, 

 Zenkovich observed clearly that the injured animal was a cow, and her 

 rescuers two bulls. He says that he has noticed the same thing on a 

 number of occasions, and that he never saw a Grey cow coming to the 

 assistance of a bull. Whalers have always known that when two Blue 

 Whales are sighted, the female must be shot first, for the male will not 

 desert her and can therefore be caught fairly easily, while the cow does 

 desert her injured mate. Luckily for the whales, gunners cannot usually 

 distinguish the sexes while the animals are swimming, though their 

 inability to do so has the unfortunate consequence that no special measures 

 can be taken to protect the cows. Tomilin (1935) reports that female Grey 

 and Sperm Whales also desert their injured mates, while both sexes of 

 Humpback Whales come to each other's assistance. 



Naturally, whales also render assistance to the young, and not only their 

 own. In Marineland, when a new-born calf is slow in swimming to the 

 surface, it is pushed up either by its mother or by another cow. The same 

 behaviour was also displayed towards a still-born calf (Fig. 105), and is 

 said to be quite common among Bottlenose Dolphins in their natural 

 state. Moore (1955) reported a nuinber of instances of Bottlenoses con- 

 tinuing to push a dead calf or at least its head to the surface for days 

 after it was dead. They do this even with other dead animals and, in fact, 

 with all sorts of objects. In Marineland, at least, Bottlenose Dolphins have 

 been observed pushing a turtle or even a small tin to the surface in this 



