THE PLAYFUL HUMPBACK 



spectacular performance but what the whalers call 

 "lobtailing" is almost as remarkable. The animal as- 

 sumes an inverted position, literally standing upon its 

 head, and with the entire posterior part of the body 

 out of the water begins to wave the gigantic flukes 

 back and forth. The motion is slow and measured 



A humpback whale "lobtailing." The animal assumes an in- 

 verted position and, with the entire posterior part of the 

 body out of the water, begins to wave the gigantic flukes 

 back and forth, lashing the water into foam. 



at first, the flukes not touching the water on either 

 side. Faster and faster they move until the water is 

 lashed into foam and clouds of spray are sent high 

 into the air; then the motion ceases and the animal 

 sinks out of sight. There is considerable variety 

 to the performance, the whale sometimes pounding 

 the water right and left for a few seconds and then 

 going down. 



Many of the gunners believe that lobtailing is in- 

 dulged in to free the whale's flukes from the barnacles 

 which fasten in clusters to the tips and along the 



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