The following section is designed to help you to get the most out of your whale watching experience as it tries to explain why some whales are seen to behave as they do at times.
Breaching and lunging
A breach is when a whale attempts to jump out of the water, either totally or partially. A lunge is when a whale jumps out of the water as an after-result of chasing prey. Sperm whales breach by swimming vertically towards the surface at high speed, whereas species such as humpback, right, blue, minke, fin and sei do so by swimming parallel to the surface and jerking themselves out of the water when they reach maximum speed. No-one knows for sure why whales breach, but it may have something to do with courtship, strength demonstration, communication, stunning of fish or removal of skin parasites. However, each breach may cost a whale up to 1% of its daily energy intake, so scientists think there must be a very good reason for the behaviour.
Bubblenetting
Some whales emit a curtain of bubbles in a spiral or circle, within which frightened shoals of fish are trapped. The whale will then scoop up the ball of fish - and anything else within the diameter of their huge jaws - from beneath, so stay well clear if you are scuba diving and you see a ring of bubbles!
Spyhopping
Spyhopping is when a whale pokes its head and forebody out of the water, rather like a human treading water. It is believed this behaviour may simply be a way of seeing what is above the surface and orienting with the coastline, but it may also be a demonstration of strength.
Lobtailing and slapping
Lobtailing is when a whale pokes its tail out of the water and slaps the surface with it. Slapping is done with a fin. Usually the whale does this several times in one lobtailing or slapping session. Theories include the frightening of fish into tighter shoals that are easy to predate, communication over long distances and a visual sign of agression. Other violent movements of the tail, such as slashing, are also thought to be signs of agression and humans should keep clear of a whale displaying this behaviour.
Blowing
Baleen whales have two blowholes, whereas toothed whales only have one. Blowspurts or spouts, which occur when the whale surfaces and breathes out, can be seen from several kilometres away, and some species create distinctive spouts that aid identification.
Logging
Whales and dolphins breathe "voluntarily" (unlike most other animals which breathe ‘automatically’), so do not sleep in the same way that we do. They always have to be semi-conscious, and may rest one side of their brain at a time in order to carry on breathing. Logging (staying still at the surface) may be a sign that the animal is at rest.
Tail extension / sailing
Whales sometimes poke their tails out of the water and leave them vertical in the air for up to 15 minutes, behaviour that may be connected to suckling as calfs are often seen bobbing around the extended tail. However, sometimes the whale allows itself to be blown along by the wind with its tail acting as a sail, perhaps merely for pleasure.