Body Flexibility Enhances Maneuverability in the World's Largest Predator

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Biomechanics
• Animal Locomotion

Background:

• Blue whales were traditionally viewed as stable, open-ocean swimmers prioritizing endurance over agility.
• Recent observations suggest blue whales engage in complex underwater behaviors, but the mechanics of these maneuvers remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the locomotor dynamics and control surface movements of foraging blue whales.
• To investigate how blue whales achieve complex maneuvers and the role of body flexibility.

Main Methods:

• Utilized multi-sensor biologgers with integrated cameras to record blue whale movements.
• Analyzed data to correlate control surface (flippers, flukes) actions with body dynamics during maneuvers.

Main Results:

• Simple maneuvers (rolls, turns, pitch changes) involve specific combinations of flipper, fluke, and body movements.
• Complex trajectories are formed by sequencing these simple maneuvers.
• Blue whales employ banked turns, leveraging their significant dorso-ventral flexibility to enhance turning performance.

Conclusions:

• Body flexibility is crucial for enhancing maneuver control and performance in large animals like blue whales.
• The blue whale's body can supplement the function of hydrodynamically active surfaces, suggesting a novel mechanism for aquatic locomotion control.