3 whales take turns spinning in air, give boat passengers a rare show

Whales in Nova Scotia spin in the air, land back in the water.

Whale-watching boat passengers were in for a surprise off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Three whales can be seen at first diving in and out of the water in a synchronized fashion while the passengers on board are full of laughter and excitement. The video was shot by a passenger on a tour boat in August, according to a Canadian news agency.

The whales then begin jumping up out of the water very high and start to twist and swirl in midair before going back underwater.

This is called breaching.

It is unknown why whales breach, but theories suggest it may be to shake parasites off their skin, signal other whales, or just for fun.