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.