According to a hypothesis advanced in 1978 by biologist F. G. Wood, whales may still retain some of the instincts of their amphibian ancestors. When they receive a severe shock or wound in the water, they may react by trying to keep their blowholes out of the water to avoid drowning or even by "blindly" trying to come ashore.
根據美國生物學家武德在一九七八年曾提出的假設，鯨仍保持兩棲類祖先的本能，當它們在水中受到嚴重壓力或傷害時，也許是想把噴孔儘量暴露在空氣中，避免沈溺，才會有「盲目」上岸的反應。