The Humpback Whale

The Deep Blue Sea....those words encompass different images in the minds as individual as the person who is imagining them. Just sitting on a beach and watching the waves break on the shore can sometimes lead the mind to wander past the waves into the sea; visualizing the coral reefs, just below the surface; or maybe a group of sea anemones landscaping the ocean floor. Then there is always the person who dreams about the creatures that live there; from the tiniest of shells to the largest of the marine mammals. The Humpback is one of those marine mammals that people not only can dream about, but can actually see; from time to time in many of our oceans.

All whales are either Toothed or Baleen. The Humpback whale is one of the baleen whales (sometimes called whalebone or great whales). They have rows of baleen (a fringed or hair type of substance that grows from plates in the upper jaw which strains the food from the large mouthfuls of seawater); in comparison the Orca or Sperm whale (these are only 2 out of several toothed whales) have rows of teeth.

The Humpback has a stocky body ranging in color from white to grey to black; they have obvious humps; black dorsal fin. Most often their heads and lower jaw are covered with outgrowths of what look like warts, called tubercles. These growths are characteristic of the species. Their fluked tail can be seen raised above the water in preparing for a deep dive, along with the arching of their back.

These whales will travel thousands of miles as a group. Distinctive songs sung only by the males can be heard. They use the songs to communicate and navigate across the oceans. Also, it is believed they sing to attract mates and to establish a social structure among the males. Individual songs can last as long as 30 minutes at a time.

The summertime, in polar waters, is the Humpbacks primary feeding time. They feed on krill, (a small shrimp-like crustacean) and other small fish. They use a unique technique to catch fish; it is a group effort called bubblenet feeding; a pod of Humpbacks dive deep under a school of fish, form a circle and all let out their breath at the same time. Within this group or pod there are individual tasks to be performed; some blow bubbles and some go down and chase the prey towards the surface; all of this is happening inside the bubblenet. Finally, as a group, they head towards the surface; here they swallow their prey with their huge mouths. They live off of their fat reserves during the winter where they migrate to tropical waters to breed and give birth.

The Humpback whale reaches maturity at 15 years. A calf can be born to a female after a gestation period of 11-12 months. The calf is born tail first and near the surface of the warm, shallow water. The mother helps the baby take its first breath by using her flippers to aid the calf to the surface. Usually, within 30 minutes the baby is swimming. The calf drinks mother's milk, which is 50% fat and pink in color, and is weaned about 11 months. The mom and her baby may stay together a year or longer.

These gentle creatures of the sea are known for their acrobatic performances. They jump (or breach) high out of the water, twist and then land loudly on their side or back. When a large whale breaches, the splash can be heard for up to a kilometer. Humpback whales are generally curious about objects in their environment. Because many Humpbacks are easily approachable, curious, and display many fascinating behaviors, they have become the core of whale-watching amongst tourists around the world.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_Whale

http://sailhawaii.com/whales.html

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/18/g35/cchumpback.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Humpbackwhale.shtml