Starting with the best! When it comes to whale-watching, the ultimate dream is to witness a big breach! Breaching is one of the most amazing behaviours in the entire animal kingdom if you ask me (not biased at all)! This is when they jump out of the water, showing their entire bodies before diving back down in a massive splash. Sometimes, you will see more experienced whales who are able to breach in extremely graceful ways, turning perfectly in the air, while other times, you will witness baby whales practising their jumps in very clumsy ways! We love them both, of course!
Why Do Whales Breach? The Splash Heard Across the Sea
Breaching is amazing, but it’s a bit rarer to witness. That’s because it requires a lot of energy, and the whales are in the energy-saving migration mindset. An adult humpback can weigh up to 40 tons. Can you imagine how hard it would be to propel your body out of the water using your tail when you are that heavy? Even harder for all the pregnant females! To make it worse, whales don’t eat during the migration; there is no food for them around this area, so all the energy they spend is not coming back to them until they get back to Antarctica.
So, if it’s that complicated, why would they do it? Well, scientists aren’t entirely sure yet, but there are a few reasons that are mostly accepted in the scientific community.
First, whales breach to communicate. Humpback whales are extremely social beings; they love making friends and travelling with a buddy. There is an observable relationship between the whales’ surface action and the distance of the next whale or pod of whales. They can use it to let other whales know they are around. Another thing we observe is that whales tend to breach more on days of bad weather and big waves because if there is more background noise, they need to be extra loud, and nothing like a big splash won’t solve!
The Truth About Whale Breaching: Fun, Function, and Survival
Another potential reason whales breach is to get rid of excess barnacles or whale lice, some of the creatures that live on whales’ skin. Although they cause minor damage, when there are too many of them, it can be uncomfortable for the whale and increase friction with the water. When they jump, they release a bunch of them, like skincare! It is also why as soon as they breach, there are always birds around to come and feed on those animals.
It is also believed that sometimes whales breach for fun! especially when it comes to calves and juveniles, who will breach over and over again as nothing else matters. They could potentially use the breach to have a look at the surface world as well while they do it!
Finally, whales can also breach to show their skills to potential mates, warn off boats or any other potential threat, and indicate to keep their distance. However, other behaviours, like tail slapping and Tai throwing, are more commonly used for that.
