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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Science
Vishwam Sankaran

Tour guides make remarkable discovery about Great Barrier Reef whales: ‘Not even scientists knew what it meant’

Australian tourism operators have helped crack the mystery of an enigmatic humpback whale behaviour that has left scientists baffled since it was first observed in 2009.

Sighting of whales exhibiting unusually long “fluking” behaviour – where the mammals float upside down holding their tails above the water for extended periods – began surfacing in 2009.

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