#31: Whale Behavior - Posturing

On February 26, we flew our normal survey area of 406 nm. We sighted 30 right whales and 1 humpback in our survey area. We saw a lot of whale behaviors typical for this area, SAGs, nursing and logging to name a few. One behavior that we saw I had never witness in the Southeast before; posturing.

Posturing is when a whale shows off it flexibility by arching its back, simultaneously lifting it head and flukes out of the water. Its hard to imaging such an enormous creature contorting its body in such a way, but it happens. The reason for this behavior is not known, but it is commonly seen after a whale has been resting at the surface, (logging), for extended periods of time. That did not appear to be the case for this whale, since it was interacting with a group of whale at the time the behavior was captured. Both the visual aesthetics and mystery behind this behavior make it a captivating experience to witness.


- Jonathan

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