Logging

It’s not unusual to see a whale floating on the surface, a behaviour which brings to mind a floating log. Consequently, this technique is called “logging”. Belugas, humpbacks, and North Atlantic right whales can be observed exhibiting this behaviour while breathing slowly. Other species such as the fin whale swim slowly and quite close to the surface, partially emerging their bodies at regular intervals to breath. In captivity, belugas have also been seen resting at the bottom of the pool.

Sweet dreams

Most land mammals have a period of sleep characterized by rapid eye movement; this is REM sleep, which is when dreams are most likely to occur. Similar movements typical of REM sleep have been observed by researchers in a young gray whale and a beluga in captivity. Do cetaceans dream, too?