A Beluga Whale Showed a Sign of Intelligence Once Thought Unique to Humans

A long-delayed study of old New York Aquarium footage found that two belugas, Natasha and Maris, showed signs of mirror self-recognition.

The whales passed contingency-checking and mark-directed behavior tests, suggesting they could recognize themselves in a mirror.

Led by Diana Reiss, the research was published more than 20 years after the original experiments.

The findings add evidence that belugas may have advanced self-awareness and social intelligence.