A humpback whale has numerous surface behaviours, which can help you determine its mood and also what action it is currently doing. When it comes to animal encounters there is always a pattern, which at times it can take quite a few surfacings to truly determine what the animal is actually doing and also lets you know what is the best way to behave around thus animal.
When it comes to humpbacks it does primarily depend on where in the world you are that can assist you in determining its behaviour. When you are towards the poles during that summer period, then chances are it is foraging in its feeding grounds or potentially resting or simply moving to another foraging ground. However, typically a humpback whale will surface a few times in sequence anywhere from 5-10 times within a few minutes, then on their last breathe they will arch their back, present their fluke (tail) into the air before descending. I kind of think it is them waving goodbye, as when they do this they typically descend for a longer, deeper dive that can last from 3 minutes to 15 minutes.
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