WHALE STORIES - CHARGING

A personal story:

"Sometimes humpback whales form small, tight groups like packs of dogs. They move fast at the surface, breathing nearly in synchrony (at the same time), with much cavorting and social interaction.

"Some of the groups are males in competition for females, but the composition of others is less clear. When they encounter a boat they often stop and approach cautiously, then silently withdraw, milling about for several minutes.

"At other times they seem not to know what to do, and they keep close together, pressing against one another and maneuvering so as to constantly touch each other's bodies. On a few occasions these groups have become bold and ended the encounter by making a mock charge at the boat.

"In one incident the whales grouped about a hundred yards away trumpeting and grunting in turn. They then turned and plowed towards us, howling loudly and coming so fast and resolutely that we were convinced we were going to be rammed. Only at the last possible moment did they change direction and dive deftly under the boat, passing beneath us in complete silence, but so close to the hydrophone (underwater microphone) that we could hear the gurgling water from their wakes."