Why do whales spout water?
For grown-ups: the science
Whales spout when they breathe out through their blowholes at the ocean’s surface.
Whales are mammals and must breathe air. Their visible “spout” is primarily warm, moist exhaled air that condenses in cooler outside air, often mixed with droplets of seawater around the blowhole.
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Transcript
A whale pops up at the ocean’s surface with a big puff. Why does it spout water?
Whales breathe air through a blowhole on top of their heads. They come up from the water to take a breath.
When a whale blows air out fast, it makes a misty puff. Some seawater around the blowhole can spray up too.
The puff can look like a water fountain from far away. But it is mostly warm, wet air from the whale’s breath.
So whales spout when they breathe out at the surface. Their big breath makes a splashy-looking puff!