Dozens of rings appear in the sea, and science speaks out: they could be messages from "another intelligence."

Researchers and experts from the University of California, along with the SETI Institute, an institution recognized for its work in the search for intelligence on Earth and beyond, have found the answer to the perfect rings that have emerged in different oceanic regions around the world.

After years of study and analysis, a study conducted by these institutions has managed to uncover the meaning of these perfect bubble rings. The study recorded twelve incidents in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in which several humpback whales created nearly 40 perfect bubble rings just before or after these cetaceans approached vessels.

While research into these circles isn't new, it was thanks to the emergence of an old video recorded in 1988 in which a whale generated several of these rings over a 10-minute period. This video motivated researchers to find the why and how, which led them to discover a clear pattern and a possible explanation for why whales do this.

The study, published in Marine Mammal Science , suggests that whales make these rings to get our attention , since in nine of the 12 documented cases, it was the whales that approached and made these circles for people.

"We feel as if we're dealing with something we don't fully understand. It's disconcerting, like receiving a message from another intelligence," reflects biologist Fred Sharpe. Despite the fact that everything points to a certain intentionality behind these rings, many insist that before drawing definitive conclusions, more data and documented cases must be gathered to look for similarities.

While some believe it could simply be a way for whales to play when humans are present , it cannot be ruled out that these cetaceans have developed a new form of nonverbal communication. "It's as if, instead of uttering words through their mouths, they use their blowholes to throw symbols into the water," Sharpe defined.