spyhopping

English

Alternative forms

• spy hopping
• spy-hopping

Noun

spyhopping (plural spyhoppings)

1. The act of one who spyhops.
   • 2000, Serge Dedina, Saving the Gray Whale: People, Politics, and Conservation in Baja California, The University of Arizona Press, page 17:

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

   • 2013, Claire Throp, Orcas, Raintree, page 31:

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

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

     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.

Verb

spyhopping

1. present participle and gerund of spyhop