why do whales jump out of the water

Whales jump out of the water, a behavior called breaching, for several key reasons. Primarily, they do it to communicate with other whales across long distances by creating a loud splash and sound. They also breach to stun or scare prey, remove parasites, assert dominance toward other whales, and possibly for fun or play. The behavior can serve as a social signal, a territorial display, or a way to get a better view of their surroundings. Additionally, environmental factors like rough waters can motivate breaching to breathe air free of spray or interact socially when pods meet or separate. Breaching is energetically costly but serves multiple important biological and social functions for whales.