In the frigid waters of Norway’s Kvænangen fjords, two killer whales did something no one had ever seen in the wild. They kissed.

This intimate moment, captured in October 2024 by snorkelers off the coast of northern Norway, unfolded just below the surface. Two orcas—silent, still—drifted beneath a boat, face to face, and gently touched tongues. The interaction lasted just under two minutes. The pair engaged in three distinct rounds of contact before parting ways, according to a new study published in the journal Oceans.

Two orcas were filmed kissing underwater in the wild for the first time.

A Surprising Display in the Arctic North

This fjord, tucked above the Arctic Circle, is known for its rugged beauty and abundant marine life. But even among seasoned divers, what happened here was unprecedented. Footage taken by a citizen scientist using a handheld GoPro shows the two animals motionless, engaged in what the observer described as “kissing” just beneath the waves. As Live Science reports, this marks the first documented instance of tongue-nibbling behavior between orcas in the wild.

While orcas have been observed doing strange and clever things—from wearing salmon as hats to stealing fish from longlines—the tender, almost human act of kissing adds another layer to their mystique. According to the researchers, the behavior may play a role in social bonding or reconciliation, much like grooming among primates or mouth-licking among canines.

The encounter occurred in the Kvænangen fjords in northern Norway.

The Captivity Connection

Although this is the first time tongue-kissing has been recorded in the wild, it has a history in captivity. As Boing Boing reports, similar behavior has occurred at facilities like Spain’s Loro Parque, where captive orcas have occasionally nibbled each other's tongues.

Dr. Javier Almunia, a co-author of the study and director of the Loro Parque Foundation, noted that such behavior might help scientists better understand cetacean social structures. He suggested to VICE that the kissing could have been an affiliative act, possibly a way to smooth over conflict—literally kissing and making up.

Still, some critics have flagged concerns over the motivations behind the study. Though the footage was recorded independently by snorkelers, the paper’s framing raises questions about how data from captivity is used to draw conclusions about wild behavior.

The fact remains, however, that this natural encounter happened in open water, free from human orchestration.

The whales touched mouths gently for nearly two minutes.

Uncharted Behavior in the Deep

What makes this moment so rare isn't just the act itself, but how little we know about it. Interviews with divers and scientists revealed only a handful of anecdotal mentions of similar behavior in wild orcas. Until this encounter, there was no video proof.

The behavior may be more common than believed, simply overlooked due to the challenges of observing orcas in the open ocean. As Miami Herald reports, tongue-nibbling in other species like beluga whales has been tied to juvenile bonding. Researchers think that these orcas may have been young individuals engaged in a playful or social exchange.

Observers described the act as a kiss or tongue-nibbling.

A Glimpse Into Orca Emotions?

It’s impossible to say for sure whether the orcas were expressing affection, mending a disagreement, or simply playing. But the footage has opened up new conversations about cetacean intelligence and emotional complexity. They are, after all, part of the dolphin family—a group known for their social sophistication.

This fleeting moment between two orcas beneath the cold waters of Norway might hint at something deeper. If nothing else, it reminds us that even the ocean’s apex predators have a soft side.