WHALE BEHAVIOURS.
What is Spy Hopping?
A slow controlled rise out of the water, usually exposing their head.
Why do whales do bubble trails?
Competition between other whalews. It can also shield females from seeing other competition.
Who does the Peduncle Throw/Tail breaching?
Humpback whales, grey whales.
Who does breaching?
Humpback whales, orcas, bowheads, right whales, sperm whales, mink whales, gray fin whales... (you only need to know 1 or 2, but I'll just list all of them).
Who does flippering/Pectoral Slap?
Humpback whales.
Who does bubble net feeding?
Humpbacks.
Who does the Bubble Trail/Bubble Display?
Humpbacks.
What is Head Slapping?
In headslapping, 90% of the body comes out of the water. It's different from breaching because whales headslap by landing on their stomachs not their backs.
Why do whales do the peduncle throw/tail breaching?
It challenges other males. Or when they are uncomfortable with whale watching boats etc..
Why do whales head slap?
It's a MYSTERY! make sure you dont mys out on the answer when the discover it!
Why do whales beach/strand?
May be sick or confused, navigation errors, hunting too close to shore, old and weak, or noise pollution may cause them (ex. sonar)
Why do whales do bubble net feeding?
So they can EAT.
Who does Spy Hopping?
Usually orcas and humpback whales, however some sharks also do spy hopping.
Why do whales do flippering/the Pectoral slap?
To find a mate.
Why do whales spy hop?
To try and see their surronding environment/prey.
Why do whales lobtail/tail slap?
For foraging, it frightens fish into schools, which makes them easier to eat.
What whales beach/strand?
Typically toothed whales (ex. pilot whales, some oceanic dolphins, sperm whales)
Who does Head Slapping?
Baleen whales, bowhead whales, right whales, and humpback whales.
Why do whales breach?
Because they want to play, they travel quickly, it gets rid of dead skin and barnacles, for communication, and also to breed or alert boats.
Who does Lobtailing/tailSlap?
Sperm whales, Humpback whales, right whales, grey whales, oceanic whales, and its less common with dolphins and porpoises, but they do do it.
What is a Bubble Trail/Bubble Display?
Streams of bubbles from whales blowholes. It's a slow coninuous release of air while underwater.
What is Bubblenet Feeding?
When a whale intakes air, finds a group of fish and incircles it with bubbles, which panicks the fish, and the bubbles create a net.
What is Lobtailing/Tail Slap?
When a whale lifts its tail and slaps it down into the water repeatedly.
What is beaching/stranding?
When either individual or groups of whales become trapped on a beach and are unable to get back to the ocean.
What is the Peduncle Throw/Tail Breaching?
When the whale thrusts its peduncle out of water, and makes it fall back on its side.
What is breaching?
When whales jump out of the water, slide, twist, and then crash into water.
What is Flippering/Pectoral Slap?
When whales raise their flippers (1 or 2), and slap repeatedly against the water.
