Humpback whale flippers

[animaltoyforum]

Does anyone know what humpback whales use their large flippers for? Presumably humpback whales generate thrust mostly using their tails like other whales, or do they use their limbs to generate thrust as well? Maybe their diet/behaviour is different to short-flippered baleen whales?

[AcroSauroTaurus]

Humpback Whales use their specialized pectoral flippers for "slapping" the waters surface as a means of communication over long range.

[stargatedalek]

IIRC they also give it greater agility for circling tightly when using bubble nets.

[animaltoyforum]

Do any other whales slap the water surface in that way?

[animaltoyforum]

IIRC they also give it greater agility for circling tightly when using bubble nets.

That makes sense. Can you remember where you heard that?

[stargatedalek]

IIRC they also give it greater agility for circling tightly when using bubble nets.

That makes sense. Can you remember where you heard that?

Afraid not so don't quote me on that.

[sbell]

Again, I have no idea where I read it--but I seem to recall aerodynamic (hydrodynamic?) studies on humpback flippers that indicated how their large size and the morphology of the anterior margin did something to improve efficiency.

[animaltoyforum]

Found this, which has citations that confirm some of the things you have raised. Thanks for your help! http://www.asknature.org/strategy/3f2fb504a0cd000eae85d5dcc4915dd4

[sbell]

Found this, which has citations that confirm some of the things you have raised. Thanks for your help! http://www.asknature.org/strategy/3f2fb504a0cd000eae85d5dcc4915dd4

No worries--this wouldn't have something to do with plesiosaur flippers, would it? Because that would be super!

[AcroSauroTaurus]

Found this, which has citations that confirm some of the things you have raised. Thanks for your help! http://www.asknature.org/strategy/3f2fb504a0cd000eae85d5dcc4915dd4

No worries--this wouldn't have something to do with plesiosaur flippers, would it? Because that would be super!

Well, knowing the Admin has an "obsession" with plesiosaurs, I would assume so...

[Owen Leo]

The flippers of the humpback whale channel flow and increase aerodynamic efficiency due to tubercles or bumps. So basically they use them for swimming

[animaltoyforum]

Found this, which has citations that confirm some of the things you have raised. Thanks for your help! http://www.asknature.org/strategy/3f2fb504a0cd000eae85d5dcc4915dd4

No worries--this wouldn't have something to do with plesiosaur flippers, would it? Because that would be super!

Well, knowing the Admin has an "obsession" with plesiosaurs, I would assume so...

Of course it did! Humpback whales seem to be the only whales that (sometimes) use wing-like flippers for propulsion. I wondered if there was anything about their behaviour that could account for this adaptation, and if that might help us to understand plesiosaurs.