Humpbacks perform rare 'gape' display as migration begins
Off Western Australia, a humpback was filmed performing a rare 'gape' display—jaw wide, fins sweeping—likely a social signal or calf-stretch rather than feeding. Macquarie University researchers, drawing on 66 crowd-sourced videos, suggest gaping is a distinct behavior revealed through citizen science, not a feeding move. As humpbacks begin their annual migration, experts urge observers to keep distance to protect whales amid increased coastal activity and risks like entanglements.
