<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/11/pirouetting-humpback-whales-mysterious-behaviour-migration>
"Off the coast of Western Australia, a humpback whale is “pirouetting”,
sweeping its pectoral fins through the water, its massive jaw hanging wide
open. Surrounded by companions, the animal isn’t lunging for a meal: rather, it
is putting on a mysterious behavioural display.
This underwater ballet, captured on camera by an onlooker and shared online, is
one of the clearest examples of a rarely documented phenomenon known as
“gaping”.
As autumn chills Australia’s east and west coasts, the ocean transforms into a
bustling humpback highway. May marks the mammals’ annual migration from
Antarctic waters to the warmer breeding grounds of Queensland, northern New
South Wales and the Ningaloo coast to the Kimberley region in WA – and for
those with shoreline views, it heralds the start of whale-watching season.
Just in time for this year’s migration, a Macquarie University study has proven
the power of citizen science. Social media footage of 66 humpbacks – including
WA’s pirouetting whale – reveals their mysterious jaw-gaping behaviour could be
a social display.
“Just when we think we know a lot about humpback whales, we don’t,” says Dr
Vanessa Pirotta, a renowned Australian whale scientist and co-author of the
paper. “Tourism operators and citizen scientists spend hours observing whales
and are a powerful resource for capturing and reporting on behaviour.”
The researchers have termed the behaviour “gaping”, and believe it could be
play, social signalling, interacting with debris or calves stretching their
jaws around mealtimes.
“It was so unusual to see this happen,” Pirotta says. “And when I heard the
commentary of people watching it, I knew it was rare.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
