What do you call a whale that talks too much?

This joke swims in the deep end of wordplay, cleverly combining a common idiom with a fishy twist. The humor comes from the unexpected substitution in the punchline. You're set up to think about a large, talkative marine mammal, but the answer pivots to a completely different creature, the bass, while still retaining the idea of someone who can't keep a secret.

The setup plays on the familiar concept of a "blabbermouth," someone who talks excessively and often reveals too much information. Instead of giving us a whale-specific term, the joke dives into the world of fish, specifically a "bass." It's the unexpected blend of "blabbermouth" with a type of fish that makes the punchline amusing, creating a silly, nonsensical name that perfectly fits the ocean category without actually making sense in a literal way. It's a quick, lighthearted dive into linguistic silliness.