Spyhopping

Açores-Ilha Terceira

Cachalote-Sperm whale

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Spyhopping is the act of coming out of the water vertically, and momentarily staying out of the water in a manner akin to a human treading water. A powerful individual can spyhop as much as half of its body out of the water. The reasons for spyhopping are likely to be similar to those of breaching. Further spyhops may well be used so that the whale can examine its surroundings above the surface—for instance to look at prey species in the case of Orcas. For this a spyhop may be more useful than a breach, because the view is held steady for a longer period of time.

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