Whales have been studied for decades and scientists have learned a lot about the behavior of whales in their natural habitat.
Most species of whale are known to spend their time doing a variety of activities including foraging, migrating, mating, socializing, sleeping and exploring.
Not all whales however will engage equally in all of the activities listed above.
For example some species of baleen whale such as the humpback whale are very solitary and spend much of their lives alone which makes them much less social than other groups of Cetacea such as the killer whale (the largest of the dolphin species) which often travels in groups or pods of up to 30 or more.
Whats more interesting is that whales, dolphins and porpoises all belong to the order known as Cetacea and are marine mammals so they all share some common behavioral and physiological traits with one another.
Foraging / Hunting
Foraging is a common trait amongst all whales and is necessary for survival.
Some species are active hunters and will seek out their food either alone or in groups and attack their prey using their mouth and/or teeth while other whales (primarily baleen whales) are known to use a method known as filter feeding and will swim towards their prey with their mouth open engulfing large amounts of small fish, krill and other crustaceans.
Migration
Migration plays a large role for some species of whale.
Some species such as the humpback have been known to migrate more than 5,000 miles in a single trip traveling from central america to Antarctica.
While this is not a trait all whales share many species that live near the northern or southern hemispheres will migrate towards the equator to warmer tropical areas during mating season.
These warmer climates create a great habitat for whales who are either mating or baring offspring.
During feeding season these whales migrate back towards their respective polar regions to stock up on fish and other forms of food in order to replenish their supply of blubber and energy.
Socializing
Some species of whale are very social and vocal.
Communication often occurs using either vocalization or body language.
Some whales (primarily baleen whales) produce very deep low-frequency sounds commonly known as a whale song.
The name “whale song” refers to the fact that when these whales make these noises they often sound like a melody.
These types of sounds are often heard during mating season when whales are looking for a partner to mate with.
Other species (mainly toothed whales) communicate using high-pitched frequencies in a combination of clicking and whistling sounds.
These sounds can be used both for communicating with other whales in the group and for echolocation which helps them hunt and search for food.
In short baleen whales are often known for low-pitched deep sounds while toothed whales are known for higher pitched clicks and whistles.
Another common strategy whales use to communicate is to use body language.
Various forms of body language can include breaching the water, spyhopping, lunging and slapping their flukes and tails against the water to communicate a variety of things such as nearby danger, a desire to play, to alert the group of nearby food and to challenge one another during mating season.
Breaching
Breaching occurs when a large whale exposes at least 40% of its body above the water before making contact with the waters surface and creating a huge splash.
In some cases a whale may expose as much as 90% of body before reinitiating contact with the water.
Aside from making a huge splash breaching allows whales to show off their physical prows during mating periods as well as creating a loud sound that can be heard by other whales that are below the waters surface.
Spyhopping
Spyhopping is when a whale lifts its head above the water in order to get a better observation of its surroundings.
Spyhopping is believed to be used to help whales look out for predators, locate food and keep track of other whales in the area.
Lunging/Charing
Lunging/charging (not to be confused with lunge feeding) is when a whale charges at another whale as a way to assert their dominance and status among the group or in some cases it may be seen as a form of play.
Tail/fluke slapping
In some cases whales may be observed slapping their flukes against the water.
This can be done for several reasons.
First slapping their flukes against they water may be the result of a hunting technique that some whales use in order to prettify or immobilize their prey before attacking and engulfing their defenseless meal.
Tail slapping may also be used to communicate with other whales, however depending on the species and their tail slapping behavior the meaning of their tail slaps can change.
Sleeping
Rest is a large part of a whales life.
Most species however only sleep for periods of time.
Whales are considered conscious breathers meaning they never fall completely asleep because if they did it’s likely they would drown.
If you threw a bucket of water over the face of a person who was sleeping they would most likely become conscious immediately because their brain would signal that they are drowning or in fear of drowning.
Since whales live in this environment they must remain conscious or at least semi conscious 24/7.
Because of this fact and collected research scientists have noted that only part of a whales brain shuts down so that it can rest.
The other part of their brain remains conscious so that the whale is always aware of when it needs to surface for air or respond to a threat.
Exploring
Some species of whale are very curious and will approach boats in an attempt to figure out what’s going on.
In certain situations they may even come close enough for physical contact to occur.
These whales also enjoy swimming around in their habitat and observing their environment and other whales.
On the other hand there are some species of whale that prefer to be innocuous and avoid conflict or human interaction.
They can sometimes be seen laying motionless at the surface of the water and can be difficult to spot in active oceans.
They will also at times swim deep below the surface of the water at a slow pace where it can be difficult to observe them.
Mating and Breeding
Mating and breeding are necessary for all cetaceans.
In terms of breeding periods some species of whale have two major seasons known as mating season and feeding season.
Mating season typically occurs during the colder months because supplies of food will often migrate away leaving whales with little choice but to migrate themselves towards warmer breeding grounds.
Warmer climates also make it easier for whales to mate, give birth and care for their offspring.
When the supply of fish and other prey returns back to the colder regions during the warmer summer months migratory whales will travel back to their habitat to resupply their nutritional needs and prepare for the next migration trip.