The blowhole is opened when the whale surfaces and closed when it submerges. Whales usually take about one to two breaths per minute while traveling at the surface. Each breath is less than half a second long, but whales absorb more oxygen than other mammals by storing it in their muscles. When the whales breathe out, the condensation in their respiratory passages forms a mist cloud called a blow. The blow of right whales forms a distinctive V shape due to their two separate blowholes.
Right whales show distinctive social behaviors - nuzzling, bumping, and rubbing against each other.
They vocalize underwater using moans and pulsed calls. They are known to be especially vocal during periods of sexual and social activity. Courtship behavior also includes displays of breaching, when a whale leaps out of the water, often clearing the surface with two thirds of its body or more and then splashes down on its back or side, and tail and flipper slapping on the surface of the water.