| Imagine
you are a whale watcher. You will need to talk the lingo! This
table shows terms (lingo) used by whale watchers to note whale behaviors when
they chart observations. The
next pages show photos of some of these behaviors. Which
can you identify? Try
it!
| This: |
means
this: |
| BL |
blow |
| BK |
back |
| PR |
print
(or footprint): a round, slick patch on the surface of the
water made by an unseen whale's fluke as it swims just below
the surface of the water |
| Snk |
snorkeling:
a whale barely breaks the water's surface, exposing just
its blowholes (but no visible sign of a blow) |
| BR |
Breach:
a leap out of the water, falling back with a big splash |
| FLK |
Fluke:
showing the tail (flukes) above the water as it dives |
| Stealth |
When
observers suddenly lose sight of a whale they've been tracking
(The whale has "Gone
Stealth.") |
| AB |
audible
blow |
| Milling |
The
whale or whales seem to be staying for a while in one area,
or milling around.
|
|
