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Whales are incredibly sensual animals. Their large bodies are very responsive and easily aroused. During social gatherings, groups of sperm, humpback, and right whales will playfully interact and caress each other for hours on end. I once observed a pod of right whales engage in intimate acts, including foreplay and penetration, that lasted throughout the entire morning.

I have witnessed the harmonious union of a man and woman, seemingly unphased by our small fishing boat as they glided beneath it. Additionally, I have observed a lively group of dusky dolphins engaged in fast-paced, undeterred interactions regardless of the gender of their mate.

This week’s announcement about the first scientifically observed male-to-male sexual behaviors between two humpback whales near Hawaii is expected.

According to a whale expert, Jeroen Hoekendijk, the image of a two-meter whale penis penetrating another male provides clear evidence that there is a sexual aspect to this behavior.

It has been suggested that the meeting between the whales may not have been consensual or that the healthy whale was attempting to provide comfort to the sick one, as one of the whales was not in good health. However, this raises questions about our assumptions surrounding sexuality, gender, and identity, as these actions challenge societal norms.

Male orcas on the north-west coast of the US often separate from their family groups to interact sexually by rubbing their erections against each other’s stomachs. However, there have been sightings of female orcas engaging in similar sexual behavior as well.

The portrayal of male-to-male interactions through visuals may potentially hide numerous unobserved instances of female-to-female sexual encounters.

According to Dr Conor Ryan, a research fellow at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, it is simple to recognize male “homosexual” behavior due to their large penis size of up to two meters. However, it becomes more difficult to determine when female sperm whales are exhibiting “cuddling” behavior, as noted by Hoekendijk.

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Ryan has frequently observed instances of same-gender activity among whales and dolphins. “I am intrigued by what we tend to overlook,” he explains. He has documented acts of competition among groups of humpback whales that appeared to consist predominantly of males, including instances of chasing other whales.

However, through analysis of DNA samples, it was confirmed that these individuals were biologically female. The author suggests that female humpback whales may also utilize whale song, which was previously believed to only be performed by male whales during mating rituals.

Ryan suggests that if he were a woman facing sexual advances from men, he would also resort to singing in order to attract more women and divert attention away from himself while pretending to be a man.

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These findings bring forth novel concepts concerning the behavior of these creatures. The social structure of whales is predominantly controlled by females. For instance, female sperm whales gather in large numbers, at times reaching thousands, where males are only valued for their reproductive capabilities. They will briefly visit the groups to contribute their sperm, but then leave the females to their own society.

Science that has traditionally focused on males has made judgments about sexual behavior in the past, but the notion of whales displaying lesbian behavior should not be unexpected. Ryan even refers to a beaked whale that was found to have both male and female reproductive organs, challenging the binary categorization of gender.

Cetacean identities can be fluid, as seen when a bottlenose dolphin near Caithness, Scotland was found to be associating with and imitating porpoises in 2022. In the 20th century, author Virginia Woolf affectionately referred to her partner, Vita Sackville-West, as her “porpoise” in their unconventional relationship.

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It is impossible to determine the thoughts of whales and dolphins towards sexual interactions. However, it seems that they generally find them pleasurable – potentially without the biases and assumptions that humans have placed on such behaviors throughout history. While these interactions may attract attention on social media, they hold significant importance for us as well.

In 2003, a US supreme court case referenced the book Biological Exuberance by Canadian biologist Bruce Bagemihl, which lists 450 animal species that display homosexual behavior such as whales and dolphins. The case used this evidence to argue against the use of homophobic “sodomy” laws in Texas, deeming them unconstitutional.

It’s notable that Herman Melville’s renowned literary masterpiece, Moby-Dick, written in 1851, is a noticeably unconventional story. Melville intertwines the unusualness and variety of his characters – specifically his protagonist, Ishmael, who is claimed to be wedded to his fellow sailor, the heavily-tattooed Queequeg, inspired by a Māori fighter – with the alluring and enigmatic nature of the whales he portrays. He even allocates an entire chapter to describing a whale’s foreskin, with delighted insinuations.

The ocean is a unique environment where gender is not always clear. When walking along the beach, you may come across slipper shells that appear to be changing from female at the bottom to male at the top. Cetaceans’ reproductive organs are hidden within genital slits. The elegant and efficient movements of these creatures seem to overshadow traditional notions of gender.

Many of our perceptions of whales and dolphins stem from our own personal issues. These creatures appear to live a carefree existence. Though they lack hands, their brains are the largest on Earth and their bodies are incredibly sensitive. Their existence dating back millions of years leads us to envision a life free from the limitations that humans face.

Source: theguardian.com