“Hey ladies, how do you like my new hat?” Photo: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions//Instagram
You might’ve heard about orcas swimming around with salmon on their heads, but it turns out that they’re not the only animals in the sea that like hats. Male humpback dolphins off Western Australia’s northern coast were recently spotted cruising around with sea sponges delicately balanced on their heads.
According to ABC, a researcher who’s been trying to find out why thinks that it’s likely got something to do with impressing the ladies.
“[The sponges are] different shapes and sizes, different colors,” said Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) senior research scientist Holly Raudino, “but it all seems to be in this one particular area.”
So far, the odd sight has only been seen in a few spots: in the Pilbara and the Kimberley, including the Exmouth Gulf and Dampier. Although humpback dolphins are found in plenty of other places, the behavior has only been observed in those areas, lending credence to the theory that these kinds of things are done when animals enjoy mimicry. There aren’t a whole pile of humpback dolphins left — they’re listed as vulnerable under the National Environmental Protection Act — and it’s estimated that less than 10,000 of them are still swimming around in the planet’s oceans.
The behavior is similar to something seen recently in bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay. In those cases, dolphins were spotted using sea sponges on their noses to hunt for fish.
“Despite looking like barristers, these Australian humpback dolphins […] aren’t getting ready for court, their sea sponge wigs are worn to impress the ladies!” said the department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions in an Instagram post. “Male humpback dolphins wear sea sponges on their heads as offerings to ‘woo’ females, a bit like offering a bunch of flowers.”