Researchers observing marine mammals in far northern seas seem to push out small bursts of gas in order to stay afloat while at rest sticking straight up.
A team attached tracking tags to several large mammals as part of efforts to study resting patterns in the wild in open water.
New findings suggest the oversized melon-shaped organs do not cause tipping or wobble while at rest.
A number of adult females appear to rest inverted off the bottom of the ocean as a way to conserve energy.
Posing like that could also help nursing mothers between feedings, members of the team point out.
These shifts in buoyancy may expand461 research on animal rest, the authors note, in plain language.