West Coast Groundfish Observer Program Manual, Part2 - NOAA

CHAPTER 7
Large Cetaceans
• Blow visible from a distance—Blow can be seen
from more than 500 meters away. Usually only
seen in certain large cetaceans.
• Breaching—The whale accelerates forward
underwater and then jumps free of the water,
sometimes fully clearing the water’s surface, and
then lands on the surface of the water, creating a
large splash. Used for Orca sized cetaceans or
larger.
• Flipper slapping—Whale floats or swims at the
surface, turns on its side and slaps one pectoral fin
against the water, either once or several times in
quick succession.
• Group feeding—Seen primarily in humpback
whales, when they coordinate feeding by lunging
out of the water with their mouths open, engulfing
fish and water.
• Lob tailing—Whale raises its tail flukes up out of
the water and slaps them down against the surface
with great force. This may occur once or be
repeated many times.
• Spy hopping—Whale is vertical or upright in the
water and raises its head up out of the water, usually
with its eye showing.
• Tail raised on dive—When diving, the whale’s
entire tail lifts completely above the water before
going underwater.
• Side and stern wake riding—Whale is riding in
the wake created amidships along the side of the
vessel, or the wake created by the stern.
7-16 1/30/2004