Fascinating link! I'd be hesitant to apply the 'c-word' as well, that would imply that they have greater gifts than a mere land-lubber can fathom. The little we DO know is scary enough.

The Orcas in our islands do the same sort of thing. Someone will come up with a new song, and it will be the rage for the summer. I wonder how much of it is passing along a song, and how much is singing that annoying jingle so it leaves your head. My bologna has a first name....

The closest approximation I've seen to culture (and this is of course coloured by my own wicked bent) is the cetacean appreciation of humor. I was called once to observe some dolphins at an aquarium. The trainers had noticed that the entire pod was at first, ignoring commands, then later doing totally inappropriate behavior in response to commands. We ran throught the gamut of tests, and physically the dolphins were fine.

A few weeks later I recieved a call to come down again. The trainers had figured out what was wrong with them lot of them. They were housed in this Mickey-Mouse shaped tank, with the 'ears' as holding tanks, and the 'head' as the performing aquarium. The other ear of the tank held the Beluga whales. The parrots of the sea, unbelieveably adept at mimicry. The Belugas were watching the action from their portion of the tank, and then would either chirrup the "STOP" command, or eventually, a completely different command that they had aquired. The dolphins just finally quit doing anything. (go-stay-fetch)

The thought of it about made me pee my pants, honestly, I had to leave the building.... Imagining, "Pssst, Bill, Watch THIS!!" (rolling beluga laughter) We poor scientific sods can theorize about it until we turn blue, but until we can spend all our time underwater, we'll just never know.

Jen