Spyhoppers and Stargazers: Can Whales See the Stars?

TL;DR

This paper explores the visual capabilities of whales, specifically investigating whether they can see the stars, combining biological insights with questions about marine mammal perception.

Contribution

It introduces a novel inquiry into whale vision, focusing on their ability to perceive celestial objects, which has not been extensively studied before.

Findings

Whales may have the visual capacity to see stars under certain conditions.

The study proposes new hypotheses about whale eyesight and celestial perception.

It suggests potential implications for understanding whale behavior and navigation.

Abstract

In Moby Dick, Herman Melville wondered how - or what - whales see with eyes on opposite sides of their heads. "It is plain that he can never see an object which is exactly ahead... Is his brain so much more comprehensive, combining and subtle than man's that he can at the same moment of time attentively examine two distinct prospects, one on one side of him, and the other in an exactly opposite direction?" he asked. It's a good question. But if Melville were alive today he might have pondered something perhaps even more intriguing: Can whales see the stars?