spyhopping

plural spyhoppings · alternative spy hopping · alternative spy-hopping

1. uncountableusuallyThe act of one who spyhops.

   Spyhopping is when orcas raise their heads above water to see what's going on around them - particularly useful when hunting.

   2013, Claire Throp, Orcas, Raintree, page 31

   2 more examples

   A second behavior that gray whales often engage in is “spyhopping” — pushing themselves vertically out of the water for up to thirty seconds.

   [2000, Serge Dedina, Saving the Gray Whale: People, Politics, and Conservation in Baja California, The University of Arizona Press, page 17

   Spyhopping involves projection of the rostrum out of the water. This enables the individual to see above the surface of the water, perhaps to spot potential prey (for killer whales), predators, or conspecifics.

   2015, Annalisa Berta, Whales, Dolphins & Porpoises: A Natural History and Species Guide, page 58

alternative spy hopping · alternative spy-hopping

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of spyhop