New York, United States – Four beluga whales housed at the New York Aquarium of the Wildlife Conservation Society were studied to assess how they respond to their own reflection and whether they show signs consistent with mirror self-recognition.

The whales were exposed to a two-way plexiglass mirror and a transparent control surface across multiple structured observation sessions. Their behavior was recorded during baseline, mirror exposure, and post-exposure conditions while they remained in their social group.

Two of the four whales, a subadult and her mother, showed repeated self-directed behaviors when interacting with the mirror. These behaviors included actions that appeared focused on observing parts of their own bodies that would otherwise be difficult to see.

One adult female also displayed behavior directed toward a marked area of her body during mirror testing and passed one of the mark tests conducted during the study.

Across mirror exposure sessions, these whales showed a progression of behavior. Early responses included social actions and contingency testing, followed by more self-directed patterns such as bubble-related play, body positioning, and repeated movement sequences near the reflective surface.

Stationing behavior was also prominent, with whales positioning themselves in front of the mirror for extended periods while using different body and eye orientations. One whale showed a significant preference for binocular vision and right-eye viewing during these interactions.

Mark tests involved applying temporary, non-toxic marks to areas of the whales’ bodies that could not be seen without a mirror. In one successful case, a whale repeatedly oriented the marked area toward the mirror and spent significantly more time near it during the marked condition compared to the unmarked condition.

Another whale did not consistently pass mark tests but was observed orienting toward the area where a mark had been placed, even when the mark was not visible.

Control sessions using a semi-reflective surface showed fewer self-directed behaviors, with most interactions limited to stationing or unclear behavioral responses.

Researchers noted that several behaviors, including bubble production, head movements, and physical contact with the surface, were difficult to classify because their function was not always clear.

Overall, the behavioral patterns observed during mirror exposure were consistent with responses previously associated with mirror self-recognition in other species.

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