DOI: 10.5061/dryad.0vt4b8h58
title: Data from: Humpback whales blow poloidal vortex bubble rings

description: Among mysticetes, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) make extensive
 use of bubbles (bursts, trails, curtains) for display by combative
 breeding males and to create barrier traps (nets, clouds) when hunting
 schooling prey. Here we describe another genre of air release, the bubble
 ring, a donut-shaped, poloidally spinning, air-infused, vortex (analogous
 to a “smoke ring”). Bubble rings are well described among aquaria housed
 dolphins, but scantily reported among the mysticetes. We reviewed bubble
 ring production in eleven individuals that were documented by naturalists,
 citizen scientists and researchers on both the feeding and breeding
 grounds across three oceans. In cases where observable, humpback bubble
 rings were produced from one nostril, indicating considerable blowhole
 dexterity. The context of bubble ring production is described for each
 episode, including the orientation and distance to the closest object in
 the water (boat, swimmer or another whale). We consider a variety of
 possible functions from which foraging (n=2), resting (n=1) and
 inquisitive/friendly behavior (n=9) appeared the most plausible.
description: Field observations used in this study were made by naturalists,
 citizen scientists and researchers with whom we conducted interviews and
 analyzed their video footage (8 episodes) or photos (4 episodes).
 Observations were made opportunistically and obtained from a private
 vessel, two research vessels, two whale swim vessels, one commercial and
 one private, three commercial whale watch vessels and two light airplanes.
 Whenever possible, a still photo or screen capture was obtained of the
 ventral side of the flukes for comparison with regional fluke
 photo-identification catalogs.  The data collected
 (i.e. episodes of bubble ring production) were not processed, and remain
 in raw form as collected from the observers. In some cases, we extracted
 still photos from the videos provided to highlight the ring production
 component of the encounter. Table 2 is a summary of all twelve
 encounters.
description: # Humpback whales blow poloidal vortex bubble rings
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0vt4b8h58](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0vt4b8h58) This dataset consists of a MMSCI_5469_Table2.xlsx ## Description of the data and file structure This table summarizes 12 observed bubble ring episodes involving humpback whales across multiple ocean basins from 1988 to 2023. Each entry includes the date, location, whale identity (if known), and whale characteristics such as catalog ID, sex, and age. The number of bubble rings observed and the number of whales present are noted, along with the type of mission (e.g., whale watch, research, or swim encounter). Sex and age are indicated where available, with some individuals identified through regional photo-identification catalogs. Events span the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and South Pacific, illustrating the widespread nature of this behavior across different contexts and whale populations. ## Sharing/Access information All data was acquired directly from the primary observers of the bubble ring events. Updated Version Nov. 3rd, 2024 - combines all supplementary files into a single zipped file for easier access for readers