What's normal for one whale isn't always "OK" for another whale.
Recently, a humpback whale was filmed off Hawaii with its tail in the air, seemingly "sailing" it for a few minutes. While southern right whales have often been seen doing this, humpbacks have rarely been caught on film or video performing this exact routine.
A mother whale, who was with her calf, appeared to be doing a headstand below water, slowly waving the end of her tail, or fluke, in the air. They were off Maui's leeward coast.
"We're not entirely sure why the whales do this," noted Ed Lyman of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. "But we think this could be another way for them to rest, nurse or just try to stay cool. More observations will be needed to confirm this theory."
The video, recently released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was captured by a research drone at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, which is a protected area occupying all of the shallow water (less than 600 feet) off the main Hawaiian Islands. The footage was captured in February by scientists and whale response managers trying to learn whether small drone aircraft can be used in whale research and disentanglement in the sanctuary.
Hawaii is ground zero for humpback whales. Between the months of November and March, but especially starting in January, the waters around the main islands there are the winter home to more than half of the North Pacific's humpback whales. The area is thought to harbor around 10,000 of these whales during that season. It is also the only state in the nation where humpbacks mate, calve and nurse their young. Their population is believed to be growing there, too. Mid-February is the area's whale-season peak.
Unmanned aerial systems, or drones, were deemed effective in the study. "Everyone from state and federal managers and regulators to the end users will need to continue working together to evaluate the efficacy and pursue the appropriate use of UAS platforms as extremely valuable tools," said fellow whale researcher Michael Moore at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
The video is visible at the sanctuary website HERE.
Follow Catherine Arnold on Twitter at @TreesWhales.
