Humpback Whale
The Humpback Whale is a rorqual, the largest group of the baleen whales which includes the Blue Whale, the Fin Whale, the Bryde's Whale, the Sei Whale and the Minke Whale.
The common name of Humpback Whale is derived from the curving of the back when diving. The generic name Megaptera from the Greek mega means "giant" and ptera means “wing" and refers to the large front flippers. The specific name novaeangliae means "New Englander" and was probably given due to the regular sightings of Humpback Whales off the coast of New England.
One of the larger rorqual species, an adult Humpback Whale ranges in length from 39 to 52 feet and weighs approximately 79,000 pounds. It has a distinctive body shape with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. An acrobatic animal known for breaching and slapping the water with its tail and pectoral fins, it is popular with whale watchers
The Humpback Whale can easily be identified by its stocky body with an obvious hump and black dorsal colouring. The head and lower jaw are covered with knobs called tubercles which are hair follicles and are characteristic of the species. The fluked tail, which it lifts above the surface in some dive sequences, has wavy trailing edges. The long black and white tail fin, which can be up to a third of the body length, and the pectoral fins have unique patterns which make individual whales identifiable. Several hypotheses attempt to explain the pectoral fins which are proportionally the longest fins of any cetacean. The two most enduring mention the higher manoeuverability afforded by long fins and the usefulness of the increased surface area for temperature control when migrating between warm and cold climates. The stubby dorsal fin is visible soon after the blow when the whale surfaces but disappears by the time the flukes emerge. The Humpback Whale has a 9.8 feet, heart-shaped to bushy blow or exhalation of water through the blowholes.
The Humpback Whale is found in oceans and seas around the world in a wide band running from the Antarctic ice edge to 77° N latitude. It is migratory and spends summers in cooler, high-latitude waters and mates and calves in tropical and subtropical waters. Annual migrations of up to 16,000 miles are typical.
The Humpback Whale social structure is loose-knit and it is not excessively social. Individuals normally live alone or in small, transient groups that disband after a few hours. Groups may stay together a little longer in summer to forage and feed cooperatively. Longer-term relationships between pairs or small groups, lasting months or even years, have rarely been observed. The Humpback Whale's range overlaps considerably with other whale and dolphin species although they rarely interact socially with them.
Courtship rituals take place during the winter months following migration towards the equator from the summer feeding grounds closer to the poles. Competition is usually fierce and unrelated males frequently trail females as well as mothers with calves. Males gather into competitive groups and fight for females. Group size ebbs and flows as unsuccessful males retreat and others arrive to try their luck. Behaviours include breaching, spyhopping, lob-tailing, tail-slapping, fin-slapping, peduncle throws, charging and parrying. Whale songs are assumed to have an important role in mate selection although they may also be used between males to establish dominance.
Females reach sexual maturity at the age of 5 years whilst males reach sexual maturity at approximately 7 years of age. Females typically breed every 2 or 3 years. The gestation period is 11.5 months and the peak months for birth are January, February, July, and August. Newborn calves are roughly the length of their mother's head and measure around 20 feet. They nurse for approximately 6 months and then mix nursing and independent feeding for possibly 6 months more.
The Humpback Whale feeds primarily in the summer and lives off fat reserves during the winter. It feeds only rarely and opportunistically in its wintering waters. The Humpback Whale is an energetic hunter and takes krill and small schooling fish such as herring, salmon, mackerel, pollock, and haddock . It hunts by direct attack or by stunning its prey by hitting the water with its pectoral fins or tail flukes. The Humpback Whale has the most diverse feeding repertoire of all baleen whales. Its most inventive technique is known as bubble net feeding. A group of whales swims in a shrinking circle blowing bubbles below a school of prey. The shrinking ring of bubbles encircles the school and confines it in an ever-smaller cylinder. This ring can begin at up to 100 feet in diameter and involve the cooperation of a dozen animals. The whales then suddenly swim upward through the "net", mouths agape, swallowing thousands of fish in one gulp. Pleated grooves in the whale's mouth allow the creature to easily drain all the water initially taken in.
Both male and female Humpback Whales vocalize but only males produce the long, loud, complex "songs" for which the species is famous. Each “song” consists of several sounds in a low register, varying in amplitude and frequency and typically lasting from 10 to 20 minutes. Cetaceans have no vocal cords so whales generate their “songs” by forcing air through their massive nasal cavities. Humpback Whales within a large area sing the same “song”. All north Atlantic Humpback Whales sing the same “song” and those of the north Pacific sing a different “song”. Each population's “song” changes slowly over a period of years. Scientists are unsure of the purpose of whale “songs”. Only males “sing”, suggesting one purpose is to attract females. However, many of the whales observed to approach a “singer” are other males, often resulting in conflict, and “singing” may therefore be a challenge to other males. Some scientists have hypothesized the song may serve an echo location function.
Like other large whales, the Humpback Whale was and is a target for the whaling industry. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a moratorium was introduced in 1966. While stocks have since partially recovered, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships and noise pollution continue to have an impact worldwide. The worldwide population is at least 80,000 with 18,000 to 20,000 in the north Pacific, about 12,000 in the north Atlantic and over 50,000 in the Southern Hemisphere, down from a pre-whaling population of 125,000. The Humpback Whale is considered "least concern" from a conservation standpoint as of 2008. This is an improvement from “vulnerable” in 1996 and “endangered” as recently as 1988. Most monitored stocks of Humpback Whales have rebounded well since the end of commercial whaling, such as the north Atlantic population where stocks are now believed to be approaching levels similar to those before hunting began. However, the species is still considered “endangered” in some countries.
Date: 5th June 2015
Location: Ísafjarðardjúp from Ogur, Westfjords, Iceland
The common name of Humpback Whale is derived from the curving of the back when diving. The generic name Megaptera from the Greek mega means "giant" and ptera means “wing" and refers to the large front flippers. The specific name novaeangliae means "New Englander" and was probably given due to the regular sightings of Humpback Whales off the coast of New England.
One of the larger rorqual species, an adult Humpback Whale ranges in length from 39 to 52 feet and weighs approximately 79,000 pounds. It has a distinctive body shape with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. An acrobatic animal known for breaching and slapping the water with its tail and pectoral fins, it is popular with whale watchers
The Humpback Whale can easily be identified by its stocky body with an obvious hump and black dorsal colouring. The head and lower jaw are covered with knobs called tubercles which are hair follicles and are characteristic of the species. The fluked tail, which it lifts above the surface in some dive sequences, has wavy trailing edges. The long black and white tail fin, which can be up to a third of the body length, and the pectoral fins have unique patterns which make individual whales identifiable. Several hypotheses attempt to explain the pectoral fins which are proportionally the longest fins of any cetacean. The two most enduring mention the higher manoeuverability afforded by long fins and the usefulness of the increased surface area for temperature control when migrating between warm and cold climates. The stubby dorsal fin is visible soon after the blow when the whale surfaces but disappears by the time the flukes emerge. The Humpback Whale has a 9.8 feet, heart-shaped to bushy blow or exhalation of water through the blowholes.
The Humpback Whale is found in oceans and seas around the world in a wide band running from the Antarctic ice edge to 77° N latitude. It is migratory and spends summers in cooler, high-latitude waters and mates and calves in tropical and subtropical waters. Annual migrations of up to 16,000 miles are typical.
The Humpback Whale social structure is loose-knit and it is not excessively social. Individuals normally live alone or in small, transient groups that disband after a few hours. Groups may stay together a little longer in summer to forage and feed cooperatively. Longer-term relationships between pairs or small groups, lasting months or even years, have rarely been observed. The Humpback Whale's range overlaps considerably with other whale and dolphin species although they rarely interact socially with them.
Courtship rituals take place during the winter months following migration towards the equator from the summer feeding grounds closer to the poles. Competition is usually fierce and unrelated males frequently trail females as well as mothers with calves. Males gather into competitive groups and fight for females. Group size ebbs and flows as unsuccessful males retreat and others arrive to try their luck. Behaviours include breaching, spyhopping, lob-tailing, tail-slapping, fin-slapping, peduncle throws, charging and parrying. Whale songs are assumed to have an important role in mate selection although they may also be used between males to establish dominance.
Females reach sexual maturity at the age of 5 years whilst males reach sexual maturity at approximately 7 years of age. Females typically breed every 2 or 3 years. The gestation period is 11.5 months and the peak months for birth are January, February, July, and August. Newborn calves are roughly the length of their mother's head and measure around 20 feet. They nurse for approximately 6 months and then mix nursing and independent feeding for possibly 6 months more.
The Humpback Whale feeds primarily in the summer and lives off fat reserves during the winter. It feeds only rarely and opportunistically in its wintering waters. The Humpback Whale is an energetic hunter and takes krill and small schooling fish such as herring, salmon, mackerel, pollock, and haddock . It hunts by direct attack or by stunning its prey by hitting the water with its pectoral fins or tail flukes. The Humpback Whale has the most diverse feeding repertoire of all baleen whales. Its most inventive technique is known as bubble net feeding. A group of whales swims in a shrinking circle blowing bubbles below a school of prey. The shrinking ring of bubbles encircles the school and confines it in an ever-smaller cylinder. This ring can begin at up to 100 feet in diameter and involve the cooperation of a dozen animals. The whales then suddenly swim upward through the "net", mouths agape, swallowing thousands of fish in one gulp. Pleated grooves in the whale's mouth allow the creature to easily drain all the water initially taken in.
Both male and female Humpback Whales vocalize but only males produce the long, loud, complex "songs" for which the species is famous. Each “song” consists of several sounds in a low register, varying in amplitude and frequency and typically lasting from 10 to 20 minutes. Cetaceans have no vocal cords so whales generate their “songs” by forcing air through their massive nasal cavities. Humpback Whales within a large area sing the same “song”. All north Atlantic Humpback Whales sing the same “song” and those of the north Pacific sing a different “song”. Each population's “song” changes slowly over a period of years. Scientists are unsure of the purpose of whale “songs”. Only males “sing”, suggesting one purpose is to attract females. However, many of the whales observed to approach a “singer” are other males, often resulting in conflict, and “singing” may therefore be a challenge to other males. Some scientists have hypothesized the song may serve an echo location function.
Like other large whales, the Humpback Whale was and is a target for the whaling industry. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a moratorium was introduced in 1966. While stocks have since partially recovered, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships and noise pollution continue to have an impact worldwide. The worldwide population is at least 80,000 with 18,000 to 20,000 in the north Pacific, about 12,000 in the north Atlantic and over 50,000 in the Southern Hemisphere, down from a pre-whaling population of 125,000. The Humpback Whale is considered "least concern" from a conservation standpoint as of 2008. This is an improvement from “vulnerable” in 1996 and “endangered” as recently as 1988. Most monitored stocks of Humpback Whales have rebounded well since the end of commercial whaling, such as the north Atlantic population where stocks are now believed to be approaching levels similar to those before hunting began. However, the species is still considered “endangered” in some countries.
Date: 5th June 2015
Location: Ísafjarðardjúp from Ogur, Westfjords, Iceland
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Also in: Westfjords
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