With 2 or 3 beats of its huge tail the creature hurls itself up through the surface sometimes clearing the water completely, and then falls on its back with a tremendous splash. Breaching is thought to communicate position to others. The splash can be heard for several kilometres. A humpback calf normally swims along in close company with its mother. When a whale breaks the surface and falls forward instead of backward the action is called a head lunge.
Humpbacks are curious, and often pop their head up above the waterline to look around.
The creature raises its head vertically from the water until the eyes are exposed, maintains that position for a short period of time and then lowers its head back into the water. This common behaviour is thought to be used mainly for orientating themselves with the shoreline during migration. The creature lies on the surface and lifts one or both of its pectoral fins up out of the water depending on body position. Once extended, the fins can be waved about. This behaviour is rare but could be to do with feeding, as a calf is often seen bobbing around its mother's tail at this time.