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Some beluga whales appear to recognize themselves in a mirror, per a case study of captive whales which may provide the first evidence of mirror self-recognition in the species

05.20.26 | PLOS
Evidence for mirror self-recognition in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas)
Beluga whale. Credit: Marine Mind/Abigail Carleen Dahl, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Some beluga whales appear to recognize themselves in a mirror, per a case study of captive whales which may provide the first evidence of mirror self-recognition in the species

Article URL : https://plos.io/4ueTmaU

Article title: Evidence for mirror self-recognition in beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas )

Author countries: USA

Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

PLOS One

10.1371/journal.pone.0348287

Evidence for mirror self-recognition in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas)

20-May-2026

The authors have declared that no completing interests exist.

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Keywords

Earth Sciences Life Sciences Mammals Marine Biology Marine Life Marine Mammals Oceanography Organismal Biology Vertebrates Whales

Article Information

Journal
PLOS One
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0348287
Article Publication Date
2026-05-20
Article Title
Evidence for mirror self-recognition in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas)
COI Statement
The authors have declared that no completing interests exist.

Contact Information

Hanna Abdallah
PLOS
onepress@plos.org

How to Cite This Article

APA:
PLOS. (2026, May 20). Some beluga whales appear to recognize themselves in a mirror, per a case study of captive whales which may provide the first evidence of mirror self-recognition in the species. Brightsurf News. https://www.brightsurf.com/news/8X5YMRY1/some-beluga-whales-appear-to-recognize-themselves-in-a-mirror-per-a-case-study-of-captive-whales-which-may-provide-the-first-evidence-of-mirror-self-recognition-in-the-species.html
MLA:
"Some beluga whales appear to recognize themselves in a mirror, per a case study of captive whales which may provide the first evidence of mirror self-recognition in the species." Brightsurf News, May. 20 2026, https://www.brightsurf.com/news/8X5YMRY1/some-beluga-whales-appear-to-recognize-themselves-in-a-mirror-per-a-case-study-of-captive-whales-which-may-provide-the-first-evidence-of-mirror-self-recognition-in-the-species.html.