Depending on the activity level, baleen whales breathe several times at the surface before submerging again for several minutes. For example, right whales usually stay underwater for 5-15 minutes, then surface and blow five to ten times at 15 to 30 second intervals before diving again. The visible spout of a whale is not water rising from the blowhole. It's actually water vapor condensing as the respiratory gases expand in the open air. Baleen whale species can sometimes be identified by the size and shape of the spout.
Right whales have a low bushy spout.
A gray whale's spout looks heart-shaped when viewed from behind. Minke whales sometimes have no visible spout. Baleen whales have been observed at the surface of the water virtually motionless for minutes at a time, but sleep has not been well studied in baleen whales. Heat loss in water is about 27 times greater than in air at the same temperature. This temperature is similar to that of other large mammals.