You’re out on a boat. The salt spray is hitting your face, and suddenly, the water erupts. Huge, barnacle-crusted backs break the surface. If you’re like most people, you immediately think, "Look at that pod!" And you’d be right. Sorta. But if you want to sound like you actually know your way around the ocean, the answer to what do you call a group of whales gets a lot more interesting than just a single word.
Language is a funny thing. We have "gaggles" of geese and "murmurations" of starlings. For whales, the terminology changes based on what they’re doing, how many there are, and honestly, who you’re talking to. While "pod" is the gold standard, you’ll hear researchers and old-school mariners toss around terms like gam, school, or even a grind.
It’s not just about being pedantic. The words we use actually reflect the complex social lives of these massive mammals. They aren't just swimming together by accident. They have friendships. They have regional dialects. They have drama.
The Most Common Answer: The Pod
If you say "pod," nobody is going to correct you. It’s the most widely accepted term for a social group of whales, specifically cetaceans like orcas, humpbacks, and dolphins.
Why "pod"? It likely comes from the idea of something small and contained, like peas in a pod. It implies a tight-knit family unit. This is especially true for Resident Orcas in the Pacific Northwest. These groups are matrilineal. That means the kids stay with their moms for their entire lives. You might have a pod led by a grandmother that includes her sons, daughters, and her daughters’ offspring. It’s a literal family reunion that never ends.
But here’s the kicker: not all pods are created equal. Some are temporary. Some are permanent. If you’re looking at humpback whales during migration, you might see a "pod" that only stays together for a few hours. They’re just heading the same direction and decided to hang out. It's like a group of strangers sharing an elevator versus a family sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner. Both are groups, but the "vibe" is totally different.
The Old School Way: What Is a Gam?
If you ever find yourself reading Moby Dick or chatting with a salty maritime historian, you’ll run into the word "gam."
In the 19th-century whaling days, a gam wasn't just a group of whales; it was a social event. Herman Melville described a gam as a "social meeting of two (or more) Whale-ships." However, the term trickled down to describe the whales themselves. Specifically, a gam refers to a large group of whales—usually sperm whales—hanging out on the surface.
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Imagine hundreds of sperm whales congregating in the middle of the Atlantic. They’re socializing, rubbing against each other, and communicating with rhythmic clicks known as codas. Back then, sailors would see this massive gathering and call it a gam. It feels a bit more casual than "pod," doesn't it? It sounds like a party.
When a Group Becomes a School or a Herd
We usually think of fish when we hear "school," but it’s a perfectly valid term for whales too. You’ll mostly hear this used for smaller species or very large, loose aggregations.
Then there’s the "herd." This term is often reserved for species that behave a bit more like land animals. Take the narwhal or the beluga. During certain times of the year, thousands of belugas will congregate in estuaries like the Cunningham Inlet in Canada. When you have that many white whales in one spot, "pod" feels too small. "Herd" captures the sheer scale of the movement.
Does the species change the name?
Actually, yeah, it does.
- Orcas: Almost always a pod. Their social structure is so rigid that "pod" is the only thing that fits.
- Sperm Whales: Frequently called a gam or a school.
- Pilot Whales: This is where it gets a bit dark. A group of pilot whales is often called a grind. This comes from the "Grindadráp," the traditional pilot whale hunt in the Faroe Islands. In a more general sense, they are also called a "run."
- Blue Whales: Honestly? You rarely call them anything plural because they’re mostly loners. Seeing a "group" of blue whales is like finding a unicorn. If you do see them together, it's usually just a "pair."
The Science of Socializing: Why Do They Group Up?
Whales don't just hang out because they're lonely. There are hard, evolutionary reasons for these groupings.
Protection is a big one. Sperm whales, for example, use a "marguerite formation" when they’re under attack by orcas. They put the calves in the center and point their powerful tails outward like the spokes of a wheel. It’s a defensive huddle. You can't have a huddle without a group.
Hunting is another. Think about bubble-net feeding. Humpback whales will work together in a coordinated group to blow a "net" of bubbles around schools of herring. One whale acts as the leader, others blow the bubbles, and some scream underwater to disorient the fish. They then all lung-feed together. This isn't just a group; it's a highly organized strike team.
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Why the Terminology Matters for Conservation
Understanding what do you call a group of whales helps scientists track populations. In the 2020s, marine biologists like Dr. Shane Gero, who has spent years following sperm whale families in the Caribbean, have shown that these groups have distinct cultures.
If we just call them "a bunch of whales," we miss the nuance. Different "clans" of sperm whales have different ways of raising their young and different "dialects" of clicks. If a specific group disappears, you don't just lose numbers; you lose an entire culture and a body of knowledge passed down through generations.
Misconceptions You Should Probably Forget
People love to make up fancy names for animal groups. You might see "a floatilla of whales" or "a singing of whales" on a trivia site.
Ignore them.
Nobody in the actual world of marine biology or maritime history uses those terms. They’re "Aesthetically Pleasing Collective Nouns" that look good on posters but aren't based in reality. Stick to pod, gam, school, or herd if you want to keep your credibility intact.
Also, don't confuse a group of whales with a group of dolphins—though dolphins are technically toothed whales. A group of dolphins is almost always a pod, but when they get into the thousands, it’s a "mega-pod." Witnessing a mega-pod of common dolphins off the coast of California is one of the most chaotic and breathtaking things you can see in nature. It looks like the ocean is boiling.
How to Spot a Group in the Wild
If you’re heading out on a whale-watching trip, keep these things in mind.
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First, look for the "blow." Each species has a different shaped spout. Right whales have a V-shaped blow. Humpbacks have a bushy, heart-shaped blow. If you see multiple blows at once, you’ve found your pod.
Second, watch for synchronized surfacing. This is a tell-tale sign of a tight social bond. When two whales break the surface at the exact same time and dive in unison, you’re looking at a pair that’s likely been together for a long time.
Lastly, listen. If the boat has a hydrophone (an underwater microphone), ask the captain to drop it in. You’ll hear the "group" before you see them. The clicks, moans, and whistles are the sound of the group staying in contact.
What to Do Next
The next time someone asks you what do you call a group of whales, give them the real answer. Tell them it's usually a pod, but if they're sperm whales, it's a gam.
If you're interested in seeing these social structures for yourself, your best bet is to book a trip to a known "social hub."
- Hermanus, South Africa: Great for seeing Southern Right Whale groups.
- The Azores: The best place on Earth to see a sperm whale gam.
- Vancouver Island: The capital of orca pods.
- Maui, Hawaii: Where humpback pods gather to compete for mates in "heat runs."
Keep your eyes on the horizon. The more you learn about how these animals interact, the more you realize that the ocean isn't just a big body of water—it’s a complex society with its own rules, languages, and family trees. If you want to help protect these groups, look into organizations like the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) or Cascadia Research Collective. They do the actual grunt work of identifying individual whales and documenting the pods that make our oceans feel alive.