When the tsunami warning was issued in Indonesia and Sri Lanka on April 11, 2012, observers at sea noticed that all cetacean species from large blue whales to dolphins were rapidly disappearing.
British photographer and cinematographer Andrew Sutton, who snapped the picture on April 11, 2012 in southern Sri Lanka, said he and his team were amazed at how quickly the whales disappeared from sight. No one on board was aware of the earthquake, but the animals apparently sensed the underwater seismic activity and rushed to take refuge in a safe place.
Can whales be perceived as informants at sea, as a kind of sirens about the approaching danger, in particular about seismic activity? In both Japan and New Zealand, the largest earthquakes of 2011 were preceded by massive discharges of whales onto the shores of the islands. And during the recent underwater earthquake in Mexico, it was recorded that the minke rushed to leave the depths of the sea at the first sensation of danger.
Back in 1965, writer and Sri Lankan, Arthur K. Clarke predicted that by the year 2000, man will not be the only intelligent creature in nature on our planet. These will include apes, dolphins and whales. The science fiction writer also expressed his indignation that since the Stone Age, man has not been able to tame a single new animal.
However, centuries of research on whales raise doubts about the correct interpretation of their behavior, which means that you cannot completely rely on their signals.