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In 2024, researchers documented Southern Resident killer whales making short pieces of bull kelp and rolling them between their bodies during close interactions with partners. They named the behavior allokelping. The observation is evidence of tool manufacture and use in this population; it does not establish that all killer whales do this or that the behavior’s purpose is settled.
What is allokelping?
Allokelping is a partner-assisted behavior in which two whales maneuver a short piece of kelp between their bodies. The whales use their teeth, body movements and the kelp’s drag to separate a segment of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) from a longer stalk, then one whale positions it against a partner’s flank. The pair rolls the segment between them during contact.
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This differs from kelping, a previously described behavior in which kelp is draped over a whale rather than used as a short segment between two animals. The 2025 report describes allokelping as tool manufacture and use, not simply contact with kelp.
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What did the 2024 observations show?
Researchers observed Southern Resident killer whales in the central Salish Sea using an unoccupied aerial vehicle from April 10 to July 27, 2024. They recorded 30 allokelping bouts across 8 of 12 observation days. The behavior appeared in all age-sex classes and in J, K and L pods, but the amount of footage differed considerably: the researchers recorded nine hours over 11 days for J pod, one hour over two days for K pod, and 21 minutes on one day for L pod. Those uneven observations limit what can be inferred about how common the behavior is across the population.
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On seven of the eight observed occasions when whales acquired a kelp segment, they fashioned it from an intact stalk; once, a whale retrieved a suitable piece from a floating kelp mat. The paper reports continuous contact with a median duration of 32 seconds (interquartile range, 38 seconds; maximum, 186 seconds). A complete observed bout lasted a median of 1 minute 19 seconds, and the longest lasted 12 minutes 4 seconds.
Why might whales groom one another with kelp?
The authors hypothesize that allokelping may help maintain skin, potentially by removing dead skin, and may also serve a social, affiliative function. In an initial analysis of J-pod observations, allokelping was positively associated with maternal kinship and age similarity. The researchers also found tentative evidence of a positive association with visible skin molting.
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These are observational associations, not proof that kelp improves skin or that grooming causes stronger social bonds. The authors say a robust test will require more data on how allokelping relates to skin condition and other social interactions across the population.
Is this behavior unique to Southern Resident killer whales?
That is not yet known. The authors suggest allokelping may be culturally unique to Southern Residents, but they call for further study to determine how the behavior is learned and whether it occurs in other killer-whale societies. The observations document it in Southern Residents; they do not show that other populations never use kelp tools.
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There is a related but distinct behavior: northern resident and some Alaskan resident killer whales rub on smooth pebble beaches. The function of beach rubbing is also not well established, and the current evidence does not show that allokelping replaces or serves the same purpose as beach rubbing.
What could bull-kelp decline mean for the behavior?
The paper notes that bull kelp has declined in Southern Resident habitat in association with rising temperatures and raises that decline as a potential threat to allokelping’s persistence. It does not establish that kelp decline has already reduced the behavior’s frequency or caused it to disappear. The observations also do not provide a population-wide prevalence estimate.
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What the study establishes—and what it does not
- Established: Southern Resident killer whales in the central Salish Sea were observed fashioning and using short bull-kelp segments during partner interactions in 2024.
- Not established: How prevalent allokelping is across the population, whether it improves skin health or social relationships, how it is learned, or whether other killer-whale populations do it.
The report by Michael N. Weiss and colleagues appeared in Current Biology in 2025. Its authors summarize the finding: “Here, we report evidence of the widespread manufacture and use of allogrooming tools in a population of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca ater).”
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Read the 2025 report in Current Biology. A state summary is available from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
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- Quality Silicone Material - Fluorescence coral decor is made of soft silicone material, which is harmlessly to fish, does not fade, is not easy to rot and deform, does not affect water quality, is reusable and can be used for a long time
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