Rare Behavior Captured on Video: Humpback Whale “Tail Sails”

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15th Aug, 2023. 07:37 pm
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Australian social media influencer Brodie Moss captures rare footage of humpback whale “tail sailing”.
The whale’s tail is seen protruding vertically from the ocean’s surface.
The video has been viewed over 410,000 times on YouTube.

Australian social media influencer Brodie Moss recently recorded a captivating encounter while out in the open ocean.

The mesmerizing footage captures a humpback whale engaging in a behavior known as ‘tail sailing’.

The video, shared on the YouTube channel YBS Youngbloods, is captioned “A Whale Takes on a Transparent Kayak”, showcasing this remarkable spectacle.

The description of the video informs viewers about the rare behavior of whales captured on camera. It reads, “I believe this is called ‘tail sailing’ and it’s really rare for humpback whales to do, rarely been captured on film and no one knows why they do it. Hopefully, this footage helps understand it a little better.”

Within the video, Moss finds himself kayaking in a transparent craft when he suddenly comes across the impressive sight of a humpback whale’s massive tail protruding vertically from the ocean’s surface.

Captivated by the scene, he goes as far as submerging his camera to document the instance when a young calf tenderly places its head beside the adult whale’s chest, presumably its maternal figure.

“My heart is beating so fast. I think that’s a whale tail. It’s just come up and stuck its tail up, and it’s not going anywhere. I don’t even know what to say,” Moss says in the video.

Watch the video of the whale doing ‘tail sailing’ here:

Posted on August 13th, the video was shared on YouTube. Since then, it has garnered more than 410,000 views, with the count continuing to rise.

Numerous individuals have also expressed their thoughts in the comments section after viewing the video.

Here’s how people reacted to this video of a whale exhibiting rare behavior:

“Can we all agree that raw nature is marvelous? Just a perfect experience to have, I envy you!” posted a YouTube user.

Another commented, “I love how you caught the whales communicating. Proves life is wonderful and nature has its nature. Beautiful.”

“We can see whale’s tail sailing from our house quite often, but to see this so close up and on camera underwater was just something else! Keep spreading the love, Brody!” shared a third.

A fourth expressed, “Wow, that was insane, I was a bit scared something was wrong. But knowing it’s something they do is heartwarming.”

“When you put the GoPro underwater, we could hear those whales talking to each other. That made me silent for a second, a magical moment, amazing you got to capture it for us!” wrote a fifth.

What is ‘tail sailing’?

“It could be resting, it could nurse its calf and cool off when it’s hot, all at the same time. It’s not one particular advantage or function, but a combination of all three,” Ed Lyman, resource protection specialist for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, told The Huffington Post.

Rare Behavior Captured on Video: Humpback Whale “Tail Sails”

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