Not to be a wet blanket, but Wiki suggests a few other reasons that it might breach that might be in line with being stuck for some time in a dingy net. Or may

Not to be a wet blanket, but Wiki suggests a few other reasons that it might breach that might be in line with being stuck for some time in a dingy net. Or maybe the whale was just having a lot of fun now that it could move. Or maybe it's a really big thank you like you suggest :) If it's either of the latter though, I do find that interesting behavior regardless.