What Does “A Gam of Whales” Mean?
“Gam” is a genuine term from the whaling era, with a documented literary pedigree, it appears directly in Herman Melville’s *Moby-Dick*, where a “gam” originally described two whaling ships meeting at sea and their crews socializing, exchanging news, mail, and gossip during a long, often isolating voyage. The word extended naturally from this ship-to-ship social meeting to describe a social gathering of whales themselves.
Whales, particularly social species like sperm whales, do engage in genuine social interaction when groups meet, communicating through vocalizations and physical contact in ways researchers are still working to fully understand. The maritime origin of “gam” gives it a richer, more traceable history than many collective nouns on this site, a rare case where both a literary source and a clear original meaning survive intact, connecting directly back to the age of sail and the whaling ships that once crossed paths on the open ocean.
Example: “The old whaling logbook recorded a gam of whales spotted near two ships that had crossed paths that week.”
Other Collective Nouns for Whales
A group of whales goes by more than one name. Depending on the species and context, you might also hear:
- A Plump of Whales
- A Shard of Whales
- A Grind of Whales
- A Herd of Whales
- A Mob of Whales
- A Pod of Whales
- A School of Whales
- A Float of Whales
- A Shoal of Whales
- A Run of Whales
- A Troupe of Whales
Related: Collective Nouns for Mammals