lobtail

American  

[lob-teyl] / ˈlɒbˌteɪl /

verb (used without object)

1. (of a whale) to slap the flukes against the surface of the water.

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Etymology

Origin of lobtail

1865–70 (as gerund); apparently lob ¹ in sense “to move heavily” + tail ¹

Example Sentences

While so-called "bubble feeding" was already known for decades, lobtail feeding was first recognized in 1980, spreading over two decades and creating a new hunting tradition for hundreds of other humpbacks.

From Salon • Jun. 28, 2023

One example Whiten pointed to was how humpback whales learned to slap the sea surface with their tails, a trick known as "lobtail feeding."

From Salon • Jun. 28, 2023

Today, more than 600 humpbacks are lobtail feeders.

From New York Times • May 7, 2021

The enhanced hunting technique, called lobtail feeding, quickly spread along known lines of humpback social groups, aided, researchers suspect, by the cetacean talent for acrobatic mimicry among members of a pod.

From New York Times • May 7, 2021

They have also been observed to "lobtail," raising the tail flukes above the water and slapping them against the surface, and to jump clear of the water.

From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by Caldwell, David