--- title: "Puzzling Video Shows Whale With Tail Frozen Out of Water" description: "Australian nature enthusiast Brodie Moss was astonished to find the massive tail fin of a humpback whale sticking straight out of the ocean." date: "2023-08-14" modified: "2023-08-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/puzzling-video-whale-tail" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "the digest" - "whales" --- # Puzzling Video Shows Whale With Tail Frozen Out of Water ![Australian nature enthusiast Brodie Moss was astonished to find the massive tail fin of a humpback whale sticking straight out of the ocean.]() *\Image: YBS Youngbloods\* ## Humpback Headstand Australian kayaker and nature enthusiast Brodie Moss was astonished to find the massive tail fin of a humpback whale sticking straight out of the ocean surface, seemingly frozen a mere 30 or so feet away from him. Moss, who has a substantial following on TikTok, documented the rare encounter in a fascinating video. "My heart is beating so fast," he said, clearly shaken by the puzzling view in front of him. "I think that's a whale tail. It's just come up and stuck its tail up, and it's not going anywhere. I don't even know what to say." Moss got stunning underwater footage of the whale, which was bobbing in the water in a handstand position, while a calf — likely its offspring — rests gently near it. His GoPro camera even picked up the whales' beautiful song. "I don't really know what you guys are doing but I'm friendly," Moss said in the video. "Thanks for coming to say hello to me," he added, laughing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVAN-5JYsGY ## Whale Song As it turns out, the practice is likely a known but rarely observed behavior called "tail sailing." As [*ScienceAlert* points out](), humpbacks, gray whales, bowhead whales, and right whales have also been periodically seen sticking their tail fins straight out of the water. But why they do so remains a bit of a mystery. Some experts have suggested that the upside-down position may be a [form of resting](). Others have found that it may be a [way for the whales to cool down]() in hot waters, by exposing their tails to wind. In any case, it's a stunning reminder that there's still a lot to learn about these gorgeous mammals. **More on whales:** *[The Suspected Russian Spy Whale Isn't Looking So Good]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()