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22 This is where a humpback raises its tail flukes out of the water and slaps them forcefully on the surface. It's often repeated as many as 35 times in a row! A whale can perform this action by either slapping the ventral (underneath) sides of the flukes on the water, or in reverse by slapping the dorsal (top) sides instead. One of the most exciting whale behaviors is breaching, where the humpback uses its tail to launch itself out of the water, and then lands back on the surface with a tremendous splash. Sometimes you'll be lucky and see two or three whales breach side by side. Some researchers think this behavior may be a form of whale play or to dislodge parasites from the skin. Breach THRUSTING Tail Slap LOBTAILING Most of the time when a whale rolls onto its back and exposes its belly, it's a normal behavior and doesn't indicate any type of injury. One of the benefits for us though is that the white on their belly provides a strong contrast to the ocean surface and the dark color of the rest of their body, making it much easier to spot them while whale watching. When a humpback whale rises up toward the surface of the ocean with its head out of the water and its mouth closed, it's called spy hopping. Some researchers believe this activity allows the whale to "spy on" activity occurring above the surface. Often a humpback will come up to a boat and "check out" the passengers, a great treat for everyone on board. Spy Hop HEAD RISE Rollover FLOAT BELLY UP While underwater, the whale releases a controlled stream of air, creating a mass of bubbles. This behavior can occur from the primary escort, or his challengers, as a protective or evasive maneuver. Bubbling creates a visual screen, and makes it harder for other whales and predators to follow underwater. Humpbacks have the longest pectoral fins of all whales - up to 15 feet in length, a third the size of their body. When a whale rolls on its back or side and slaps the water's surface with one or both of its fins simultaneously, it's known as a pectoral slap. It is thought this slapping of fins may serve as a communication signal to other whales, but has not been proven as of yet. Pec Slap FLIPPERING Bubbling AGGRESSION THE GUIDE Photos by Marty Wolff KAYAKONMAUI.COM More Tours at