We are not alone on earth, we never were.

In the cold, quiet depths of the ocean, whales sing. Their songs—complex, evolving, and shared across entire populations—resonate not only through saltwater but also through the growing chorus of scientists and animal advocates calling for a profound shift in how we perceive non-human life. It’s time we recognize that animals are not merely biological machines reacting to stimuli. They are intelligent beings, capable of emotion, memory, creativity, dreams and—dare we say it — have souls.

Among the most majestic ambassadors of animal intelligence are whales. These cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) possess some of the largest and most complex brains on Earth. Ours pale in comparison. They live in intricate social structures, pass down knowledge through generations, mourn their dead, and communicate in ways we are only beginning to understand. What more do we need to acknowledge their sentience?

Having intelligence, emotions, being conscious, educated and cultured are not human traits.

Cetaceans are not just intelligent—they’re cultural. In humpback whale populations, unique songs are learned and modified, spreading across entire ocean basins over time. This isn’t just mimicry; it’s cultural evolution. Orcas, or killer whales, have distinct dialects depending on their pods, and some even demonstrate behaviors that resemble local customs—specific hunting techniques or social games passed from parent to child. Cultures that evolved and were refined over millions of years. Whales have been there for 50 millions of years after all. 15 millions ago, Cetotherium looked almost the same as the modern species we observe nowadays. At that time, we were still not descended from trees. 1 million of year ago, when the encephalization of primates started, cetaceans had 34 millions of years of advance. 34 millions of years of complex intelligence, interactions, memories. They had pushed the boundaries of consciousness. But as primates evolved and their manipulative intelligence prospered, it pushed back the social and emotional intelligence of cetacean as secondary, less. Ever since, consciousness was decided to be a human only attribute. Conveniently.

If intuition and observation were not enough, science has long proved our obstination to be obsolete. What we proudly call humanity: playfulness, fear, affection, love... was far from invented by us. These emotions depend on hormones that have been spread across the animal kingdom since more than 700 millions of years. Adrenaline, serotonine, ocytocine, and so many more. These hormones are the fondation of sentience (the ability to feel) and can be found in cetaceans along with so many other marine and terrestrial species. Quite far from belonging to humans only. Nerves, allowing to feel, are far from human characteristics too. Our 5 senses can as well appear quite limited compared to the odorat of dogs, the sonar of dolphins, the skin feelings of hogfish. Scientific studies have shown that whale brains possess spindle neurons, once thought to be unique to humans and great apes. These cells are associated with empathy, social behavior, and self-awareness. From a scientific perspective, the brains of cetaceans are remarkably sophisticated, their limbic system (which govern emotions and social behavior) more elaborated than ours, suggesting a higher emotional intelligence. Cetaceans also have a highly convoluted (folded) neocortex, even more than humans in many species. These folds are associated with complex thinking and processing. The neocortex is responsible for higher-order functions such as sensory perception, decision-making, and abstract thought.

Science explains a lot, but not everything.

Anyone who has locked eyes with a whale—whether from the deck of a ship or through the lens of a submersible—knows the feeling of being seen. It’s not a gaze of empty instinct but one of awareness, curiosity, and something deeper. A presence. A soul. Whales mourn. There are heartbreaking observations of orca mothers carrying their deceased calves for days, refusing to let go. This isn’t mere attachment—it’s grief. Whales form lifelong bonds, engage in play, protect one another, and even seem to have rituals. If these behaviors were observed in humans, we wouldn’t hesitate to call them emotional, even spiritual.

If they are so intelligent, so conscious, why not - like us - develop by using tools, creating cities, civilisations, taking over others? The answer is so simple, they never needed to. Environment defines the needs for adaptation. In the ocean where everything was easily provided (before we started war on it), cetaceans did not need tools to hunt and feed themselves, nor roofs for shelter. As for the desire for wars and world dominance, surely their higher emotional intelligence taught them to respect other species and live in harmony. They do not kill uselessly. Something we could learn from them.

Why does recognizing intelligence and consciousness in other life forms matters?

When we reduce animals to mere creatures—void of inner lives—we justify their exploitation. Whales have been hunted to the brink of extinction, held captive in tiny tanks, and subjected to unbearable noise pollution. Cruelty and slaughter. But recognizing their intelligence and soul isn’t just about protecting whales—it’s about transforming our relationship with all life on Earth.

By acknowledging the personhood of whales, we open the door to reimagining our moral and legal systems. Some countries, like Ecuador and New Zealand, are already exploring legal rights for nature and specific animals. This is more than symbolism. It's an ethical revolution in motion.

In a world that often prioritizes profit over compassion, whales remind us of another way. They sing not for us, but we can still listen. And in listening, we can learn. We can learn that intelligence takes many forms. That emotion is not unique to humans. That the soul may speak in frequencies far beyond our own. Let us honor these ancient beings—not as spectacles or resources, but as fellow inhabitants of Earth. Let us advocate for their protection, not just because they are rare or beautiful, but because they matter. Because they think. Because they feel. Because they are.

We are far from alone in this planet.

If we are 8 billion human people. Add 1.5 million individual whales who also think, dream, feel, care for their lives and their children and deserve rights. Millions of dolphins and porpoises. And that is for cetaceans? But what about the great apes? Elephants? Would we be ridiculous enough to keep on denying them the obvious? And what about all the others ? Shouldn't we be humble enough to understand by now that perhaps because we haven't dissected them enough to understand their intelligence or see proof of their consciousness, does not mean they do not have any and can be treated like mere objects ? Wouldn't the millions of pet-owners who deeply bonded with they cat, dogs, ferret or bird testify that they too, have personality, feelings and deserve rights?

We know so little about animals and the natural world around us. We understand so little of its ways. Our ability to create tools and technology has not yet made up for all the lacking we have in connecting and be more aware of the reality of LIFE around us. And by writing this, we are not inviting for more scientific research using cruel vivisection, capture & dissection (unless post mortem from natural causes) or any additional destruction to prove what any child could easily sense and see. We are calling for respect. for humility. We are calling for stepping down from this anthropocentric approach of life to a new era of biocentric perspective, were all living things, including humans, are understood with equal intrinsic value.

Perhaps this article is less about recognizing the specific rights of whales, and more about acknowledging that WE humans are far from the only conscious intelligent beings in this planet, and wether we understand it or not, we should absolutely start living more humbly and respectfully, atoning for our sins, rather then keeping up with our obstination to rule & destroy this planet.

" Barbarians seize this dog, which so prodigiously surpasses man in friendship; they nail it to a table, and they dissect it alive to show you the mesaraic veins. You discover in it all the same organs of feeling that are in you. Answer me, machinist, has nature arranged all the springs of feeling in this animal, so that it does not feel? Does it have nerves to be impassive? Do not suppose this impertinent contradiction in nature."
Voltaire, Dictionnaire philosophique, Amsterdam, 1764

Looking for interesting reads on this topics?

• Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel, Carl Safina,

• Becoming Wild: How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace, Carl Safina,

• Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness, Peter Godfrey-Smith,

• The Genius of Birds – Jennifer Ackerman

• Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? – Frans de Waal

• The Elephant’s Secret Sense – Caitlin O’Connell

• Animal Liberation – Peter Singer

• Eloge de la baleine, Camille Brunel