A team of researchers has provided compelling evidence that beluga whales demonstrate mirror self-recognition, a cognitive capacity previously documented in only a handful of species. Footage spanning several hours, filmed at a New York aquarium, reveals two whales engaging in self-directed behaviors while confronting a two-way mirror—Natasha and her offspring Maris were observed rotating their bodies, flexing their necks, and orienting marked regions toward their reflections. The findings, published in PLOS One, position belugas alongside great apes, Asian elephants, bottlenose dolphins, and select avian species as organisms capable of abstract self-representation. The methodology employed a mark placed discreetly on body regions visible only via mirror reflection; genuine self-recognition was inferred when whales directed tactile attention toward marked areas while monitoring their reflected images.