Well, yes they are. No animal comes close to how we communicate and internalize our communication skills, and naturally externalize them with visual symbols, invented hand signs, etc. even before we extended all that to formal writing systems for our languages, like we are using right now.

I am optimistic about whales & dolphins having some level a real of language. But best possible scenarios don’t come near us.

I think you mean “communication”. Yes, even bacteria communicate, so we are not special in communicating. Which for us would include our instinctive facial and body responses, our scent, etc.

Special doesn't mean "we do and they don't", we both utilise language, but Humans' do it to a much higher degree.

I don't see Chimpanzees typing to other Chimps across the world on a Hackernews forum. That is special and is unlike anything else in the animal kingdom.