What happens when a whale breachs?

Answer 1

I've heard two suggestions for breaching. One signalling to all other whales that I've arrived. Two annoyance at being observed and trying to frighten people away.
Whales jump out of the water to attract mates and catch krill with their baleen.

Answer 2

The breath very much the same to humans in that it must be air as they have no gills to filer the oxygen from the water, this is one of the main reasons whales come to the surface but they have huge lungs that enable them to hold their breath for very long durations but it depends on the type of whale (sperm whales con hold their breath for up to 120 minutes) and when they run out of air they must come back to the surface to breath again, Whales do not have a nose either, they use the hole on the top of their head to breath (Blow hole), this hole has muscles all they way around it that keep it sealed when it is under water and open in to breath on the surface and could be compared to a sphincter in the way it works, when a whale breaths out through this hole they send a jet of water mist up in the air that can sometimes be seen from over 3 miles away.

Answer 3

It isn't "breaching", it is "beaching", and it is exactly what it sounds like: A whale propels itself up onto the beach, and then cannot move. Heroic efforts are made to get it back into the water, which sometimes succeed and sometimes do not. The "why" behind it is not understood, to the frustration of marine biologists.

For another possibility, please see the related question below, "When a whale is breaching what is it doing?"

Answer 4

The exact reason isn't known and still baffles scientist. This isn't just for Humpback Whales or whales but other marine life that breaches. Some say that breaching is a form of communtiion. Whereas another guess is that they are trying to get rid of parasites or other organisms that grow on the outside of their skin (eg barnacles)

Answer 5

Jumping briefly out of the water

Answer 6

Announcing their presence.

Scaring people or boats off. Just sheer exuberance , joi de vivre, love of life.

Maybe showing off to a potential mate.

Answer 7

When it jumps out of the water!