Call me a skeptic, but when I read that the guys at the SETI Institute had "conversed" with a whale, my first reaction was, "Yes, of course, and I'm a pizza margherita." I mean, are we talking about an institute that spends its days scanning the cosmos in search of extraterrestrial signals, and now it comes to tell us that it had a chat with Moby Dick?
But then I read the details of the story (read them too) and, I have to admit, it started to intrigue me. Because if there is one thing that whales and aliens have in common, it is the category "intelligent beings with a language unknown to us". What if we found the key to decipher it?
A few 'words' with the whale: an experiment outside the box
Let's start with the facts: in December 2023, a team of researchers from the SETI Institute conducted an experiment off the coast of Alaska. The idea was as simple as it was audacious: play recordings of humpback whales underwater and see if any whales would respond. Well, after several failed attempts, a female named Twain began circling around the boat, imitating the sounds. As many as 36 "contacts", say the researchers, in 20 minutes.
Now, before we cry miracles, let's put things in perspective. It's not that Twain started discussing philosophy or reciting Shakespeare. Probably, as the researchers themselves admit, it was a simple "hello" repeated several times. But even this, in the context of interspecies communication, is a remarkable achievement.
The whale, an "alien" of the seas
But why study a whale to prepare for a hypothetical encounter with extraterrestrials? The answer, according to the SETI Institute, lies in the intelligence of these cetaceans and the complexity of their language. “Whales are a surrogate for aliens,” he explains Josie Hubbard, SETI researcher and ethologist at the University of California at Davis.
Indeed, the “song” of humpback whales is one of nature's most fascinating and mysterious sounds. Made up of whistles, moans, rustles and clicks, it seems to follow precise syntactic rules, even if its meaning escapes us. Some scientists think it may be used to communicate your position, court females and define the boundaries of the territory. Others hypothesize that it may have a cultural function, transmitting information across generations. A kind of “cetacean epic”, so to speak.
The limits of interspecific communication
Of course, we are still very far from being able to decipher the language of whales, not to mention that of hypothetical alien civilizations. The SETI Institute experiment, however fascinating, has obvious limitations.
In primo luogo, we don't know what Twain actually “said,” if he said anything at all. He may have mistaken the researchers for a potential partner, or a threat to ward off. Or maybe he was just playing with these strange bipeds and their funny sounds.
Secondly, even if we managed to translate the "vocabulary" of humpback whales, we would still have to understand the cultural and social context in which it is used. Whales, like humans, do not simply exchange practical information, but build relationships, express emotions, pass on traditions. Deciphering these aspects would require an in-depth knowledge of their “civilization”, if you excuse the expression.
A step in the right direction
That said, the SETI Institute experiment remains a small-big milestone in the search for a "universal language" to communicate with non-human intelligences. It demonstrates that, with patience and ingenuity, it is possible to establish contact, however rudimentary, even with a species radically different from ours. And he suggests that, if we ever encounter extraterrestrials, perhaps we should approach them as we would a whale: with respect, curiosity and humility.
Of course, the road is still long. Before dreaming of chatting with ET, perhaps we should learn to dialogue with our closest "aliens": the great cetaceans that have been sailing our seas for millions of years, keepers of secrets and perhaps of wisdom. One day Twain and his ilk will reveal to us the key to deciphering their song (It already happens with birds).
And who knows, that same key can also open the doors of the stars.
