What Secret’s Does a Whale Tail Tell us?

If you look attentively, you can find the secrets of a whale tail because each fluke on a humpback whale we encounter has a tale to tell. Because of their excellent swimming technique, humpback whales frequently round out dive after spending some time at the surface. It is time to dive as they exhale one last time fiercely before arching their back and rounding out once they have recovered their oxygen after a few vigorous inhalations and exhalations. The fluke is hoisted up high during the round-out procedure, and the underside is flawlessly exposed, revealing the mysteries of a whale tail. Every mark, scar, and pattern is particular to that person, which is how we can identify every whale thanks to their individual fluke fingerprint.

Whale Watching

Today, when the southern migration settles into a regular rhythm, there were a lot of humpback whales moving around. All of the whales we encountered today had a tale to share, and one in particular revealed through its fluke that they had survived an Orca attack. The edges of the fluke had been rounded off by the telltale traces of Orca teeth marks on the skin, known as rake marks. Thankfully, this beautiful whale managed to avoid that specific attack and has since developed into a strong, robust humpback that the orcas are unlikely to disturb any more.

Whale Fluke Markings

Breaching and inverted fluke slapping were amazing to witness today since they gave us more chances to take high-quality photos that would help us identify each of the gorgeous whales we encountered.

The tails of humpback whales are crucial to the whales because they serve as both a means of communication and a means of defense. The Language of the Whales is largely based on sound, and the whales’ tails create this language through a variety of means of communication. The Humpback Whale’s tail is essential for communicating across the oceans to everything and everyone in their habitat, whether it be a tail slap, peduncle lob, or the shove to propel their entire 40-ton bodies upward. All cetaceans exhibit the same or a similar language, therefore you can learn it on any of our tours.

Remember you are looking at their language, the Language of the Whales, the next time you are out on a boat or see a huge white water plume from a whale.