潮吹(しおふ)き

しおふき
noun
spouting (of a whale); water spout; blowhole spray
natureanimal-general
1. spouting (of a whale); the spray of water and air a whale releases from its blowhole
The act of a whale or dolphin expelling a spray of water vapor and air from its blowhole at the surface. The visible spout is a well-known characteristic of whale-watching and is sometimes used by observers to identify different whale species by its shape.
クジラの潮吹(しおふ)き。
A whale's spout.
遠(とお)くにクジラの潮吹(しおふ)きが見(み)えた。
I could see a whale spouting in the distance.
ホエールウォッチングで大(おお)きな潮吹(しおふ)きを見(み)ることができた。
We were able to see a big whale spout on the whale-watching tour.
クジラの種類(しゅるい)によって潮吹(しおふ)きの形(かたち)が違(ちが)うので、経験豊(けいけんゆた)かなガイドは遠(とお)くからでも種類(しゅるい)を見分(みわ)けられる。
Since the shape of the spout differs by whale species, experienced guides can identify the species even from a distance.

Composed of 潮(しお) (tide, seawater) and 吹(ふ)く (to blow, to spout), combined as a noun-forming compound.

Usage

The term describes the spray itself as well as the act of spouting. It is the standard word used in nature documentaries, whale-watching tour announcements, and marine-biology contexts. The same spelling can also refer to a small edible bivalve called 潮吹貝(しおふきがい) (trough shell), but the whale meaning is the primary one in everyday Japanese.

Common collocations

Related words

  • 噴気孔(ふんきこう): blowhole — the opening on top of a whale's head from which the spout is released
  • 鯨(くじら)/クジラ: whale — normally written in katakana in modern casual Japanese
  • ホエールウォッチング: whale watching — the recreational activity in which you go out to observe whales and their spouts

Related Words

Related: 鯨(くじら) (whale)
general
Added 2026.4.16 4:09 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
24000/24006_shiofuki