The humpback whale is one of the best known marine vertebra's. It is a baleen whale, which means they are seasonal feeders. They filter feed tiny crustaceans such as krill or plankton, and small fish from the water. They are gulpers not skimmers, filter feeders that alternatively swim then gulp a mouthful of plankton or fish. Average-sized humpback whales will eat 4,400-5,500 pounds of plankton, krill and small, schooling fish each day during the feeding season in cold waters (about 120 days). Plus they eat twice a day!
They are acrobats of the ocean, breaching and slapping the water. They live in pods and have 2 blowholes. The name humpback describes the motion it makes as it arches its back out of the water in preparation for a dive. Humpback whales grow to be about 52 feet long, weighing 30-50 tons. The females are slightly larger than males, as with all baleen whales. The four-chambered heart of the average humpback whale weighs about 430 pounds- about as much as three average adult human beings. The whales come in 4 different color schemes, ranging from white to gray to black to mottled. There are distinctive patches of white on underside of the tail. These markings are unique to each individual whale, like a fingerprint. The humpback's skin is frequently scarred and may have patches covered with barnacles.
Humpbacks travel in large, loose groups. Most associations between humpbacks are temporary, lasting at most a few days. The exception is the strong and lasting bond between mother and calves. Humpbacks are very acrobatic, often breaching high out of the water and then slapping their bellies on the water as they come back down. And sometimes they twirl. Some say it’s for science reasons, I think they just like to play. Humpbacks also stick their tail out of the water into the air, swing it around, and then slap it on the water's surface; this is called lob tailing. It makes a very loud sound. The meaning or purpose of lob tailing is unknown, but may be done as a warning to the rest of the pod. Humpbacks lob tail more when the seas are rough and stormy.
Humpback whales are the noisiest and most imaginative whales when it comes to songs. They have long, varied, complex, eerie, and beautiful songs that include recognizable sequences of squeaks, grunts, and other sounds. The songs have the largest range of frequencies. Only males have been recorded singing. They sing the complex songs only in warm waters, perhaps used for mating purposes. In cold waters, they make rougher sounds, scrapes and groans, perhaps used for locating large masses of krill.
These whales are some of the most beautiful creatures known to the see, and personally one of my favorite marine animals. They’re huge majestic beauties of the sea.
They are acrobats of the ocean, breaching and slapping the water. They live in pods and have 2 blowholes. The name humpback describes the motion it makes as it arches its back out of the water in preparation for a dive. Humpback whales grow to be about 52 feet long, weighing 30-50 tons. The females are slightly larger than males, as with all baleen whales. The four-chambered heart of the average humpback whale weighs about 430 pounds- about as much as three average adult human beings. The whales come in 4 different color schemes, ranging from white to gray to black to mottled. There are distinctive patches of white on underside of the tail. These markings are unique to each individual whale, like a fingerprint. The humpback's skin is frequently scarred and may have patches covered with barnacles.
Humpbacks travel in large, loose groups. Most associations between humpbacks are temporary, lasting at most a few days. The exception is the strong and lasting bond between mother and calves. Humpbacks are very acrobatic, often breaching high out of the water and then slapping their bellies on the water as they come back down. And sometimes they twirl. Some say it’s for science reasons, I think they just like to play. Humpbacks also stick their tail out of the water into the air, swing it around, and then slap it on the water's surface; this is called lob tailing. It makes a very loud sound. The meaning or purpose of lob tailing is unknown, but may be done as a warning to the rest of the pod. Humpbacks lob tail more when the seas are rough and stormy.
Humpback whales are the noisiest and most imaginative whales when it comes to songs. They have long, varied, complex, eerie, and beautiful songs that include recognizable sequences of squeaks, grunts, and other sounds. The songs have the largest range of frequencies. Only males have been recorded singing. They sing the complex songs only in warm waters, perhaps used for mating purposes. In cold waters, they make rougher sounds, scrapes and groans, perhaps used for locating large masses of krill.
These whales are some of the most beautiful creatures known to the see, and personally one of my favorite marine animals. They’re huge majestic beauties of the sea.
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