Five Behaviors of Whales & What They Mean

Flippering

• Flippering occurs when a whale raises one or both flippers out of the water and smacks the surface while lying on either its side or back. Sometimes the whale will smack the water's surface just once; other times it will slap the water many times in rapid succession. Whale Trust believes whales intend to attract another whale to join the group. When performed by a female, the group believes it may be a way for her to roll either away or toward a particular male.

Spyhopping

• During a spyhop a whale will raise its head slowly out of the water and maintain a vertical stance for a period of time. The whale will not open its mouth or extend its ventral pleats--areas under the jaw that can expand to take in larger amounts of food at one time. The whale will extend its flippers just below the surface of the water. Whales performing this movement seem curious about their surroundings and want to find out more about them.

Breaching

• Whales exhibit several types of breaches, but the most common is one in which the whale uses its tail to totally propel itself out of the water before landing back on the surface with a loud splash. The whale often spins in the air two or three times before landing on the water. Occasionally two or three whales will breach at the same time. While scientists are uncertain of the meaning of a breach, they believe it may be a form of communication that relates an intended change in direction or behavior.

Tail Slapping

• During tail slapping, a whale will raise its tail high out of the water and slap it forcefully against the water's surface. Sometimes this slap is performed with the whale on its stomach with the underside of the tail slapping the water; other times the whale's stomach is up with the top of the tail slapping the water. While some researchers believe this movement is a whale's way of warning other whales away, others believe it may be an invitation to join the group.

Singing

• Humpback whales have been known to sing for hours. \ Individual songs can last for 30 minutes and cover eight octaves. These highly structured songs can travel for hundreds of miles and seem to be part of the whales' social structure. The songs are used for navigation, attracting mates and establishing rank among males.