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Citizen Videos Reveal Humpbacks' Novel “Gaping” Displays

5/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

Dr Vanessa Pirotta reported a “gaping” behavior in humpback whales from 66 citizen-science videos (2014-2025).
The gaping occurs above and below water, is unrelated to feeding, and sometimes includes jaw-clapping sounds.
Researchers recorded 36 boat, 24 swimmer and six drone sightings in Tonga, Hawaii and east-coast Australia.
The open-access paper in Animal Behavior and Cognition suggests social communication, calf play, jaw-muscle exercise or gravity-driven movement and rules out yawning.

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Story summary

Dr Vanessa Pirotta reported a “gaping” behavior in humpback whales from 66 citizen-science videos (2014-2025).
The gaping occurs above and below water, is unrelated to feeding, and sometimes includes jaw-clapping sounds.
Researchers recorded 36 boat, 24 swimmer and six drone sightings in Tonga, Hawaii and east-coast Australia.
The open-access paper in Animal Behavior and Cognition suggests social communication, calf play, jaw-muscle exercise or gravity-driven movement and rules out yawning.