Humpback Whale Spout

A spout of water travels up from a humpback whale at ocean surface.
(Andrew Russell, Flickr)

Both baleen and toothed whales breathe through blowholes--the whale’s version of nostrils. The telltale spouts that are formed on the surface occur when whales expel warm air that meets colder air on the surface and condenses into small water droplets.