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Page: The Humpback Whale
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Although growing to enormous sizes, Humpback whales are
relatively gentle and docile creatures. Humpback Whales average
40 - 52 ft (12 - 16 m) in length, weigh approx 79,000 lb (36,000
kg) and survive by eating massive amounts of krill, plankton and
small schooling fish. The largest recorded Humpback specimen
measured 62 ft (19 m) long, and had pectoral fins 20 ft (6 m)
long.
The Humpback Whale is a rorqual whale that also includes other
baleen whales. Rorqual whales have a "pleated" style throat that
can expand to several times the original volume when a whale
takes a (huge!) mouthful of saltwater and prey-food (consisting
of krill, small fish and plankton). Using its tongue, the
saltwater is strained out through the baleen leaving the whale
with a mouthful of tasty treats.
A baleen, or baleen plate, is a plate of thick structures made
of keratin (the same material as hair and nails) hanging down
from the upper jaw. With a mouth and throat full of water &
food, they push the water out through the baleen, using it like
a strainer to let the water out and keep the food inside
A Humpback Whale can be identified by a short dorsal fin, large
pectoral fins (flippers) and groups of knobblies on their faces.
Each individual Humpback Whale can be further identified by the
black & white markings on the underside of the tail fin &
pectoral fins. Like fingerprints, the coloration and patterns
are unique to each whale and remain stable with little variance,
throughout the whales life.
One outstanding feature of the Humpback Whale is the large
pectoral fins. Even when first classified, it was these large
pectoral fins that categorized the Humpback Whale in its own
genus grouping called "Megaptera" meaning "huge-wings".
The Humpback Whale received it's name based on the motion of
it's body as it surfaces and dives back under water, arching its
back in a hump. During a diving sequence, a Humpback Whale
surfaces, breathes (making a "V" shaped blow up to 10 ft (3 m)
high) through its pair of blow holes, arches its back and flips
its tail out of the water on the way down. A Humpbacks' tail can
account for up to 1/3 of the body length and may measure up to
12' (4 m) wide on large animals.
Once underwater a Humpback Whale may stay submerged for up to 30
minutes, but usually average only 15 minutes, and may dive down
500 - 700 ft (150 - 210 m).
The "knobblies" on a Humpback Whales head and around its jaw are
an evolved form of a hair follicle called a "tubercle". Each
tubercle has a bristly “hair” growing out of it. It is in these
areas that barnacles attach themselves, spending their lives
getting a free ride and cruising the oceans.
4 separate groups of Humpback groups have been identified, with
3 of those being migratory. Of the migratory Humpback Whale
groups, one group lives in the Pacific Ocean, one in the
northern Atlantic and the third travels the southern waters. It
is the Humpback Whales of the Indian Ocean are the only group
that does not migrate to cooler feeding waters.
Humpback Whales seen in the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska,
make incredible migratory journeys every year. After spending an
entire summer in the Pacific Northwest gorging themselves in the
nutrient rich waters, they begin a migration of up to 8,000 mile
(12,800 km). Alternating locations for the migration include the
warm tropical waters of Hawaii and Mexico.
While spending the winter in the warm tropical waters, pregnant
Humpback Whales give birth to giant baby Humpbacks. Measuring as
long as their mothers head, an average of 15 ft (4.5 m), they
weigh between 2,000 - 4,000 lbs (900 - 1800 kg) and may consume
up to 100 lbs (45 kg) of milk per day. The calves stay with the
mother as they migration takes them back to the nutrient rich
northern waters. Feeding exclusively on mothers' milk for the
first six months of its life, the calf spends the next 6 months
on a mixture of mothers’ milk and solid food.
While in the northern waters of Alaska, Humpback Whales consume
tremendous amounts of food. They generally feed twice a day and
may consume up to 4,500 lbs (2,000 kg) of seafood everyday.
Approximately 120 days are spent in the northern waters before
starting the migration to warm waters all over again.
Once in the warm tropical waters whales do not eat but rely on
their fat deposits to carry them over. After a winter of
courtship and mating, during which time the males "sing" long
eerie sounding songs that may last days at a time, spring
signals the start of the migration to the cooler northern
waters. Glacier Bay is a summer home to many humpback whales as
many of the same whales have been recognized year after year.
Humpback Whales use various feeding techniques to eat krill,
plankton & small schooling fish such as herring, capelin. Bubble
feeding - blowing declining spiral rings to coral prey closer
together to be swallowed as once, is a common technique. While
they generally bubble-feed as a group, it has been known to be
done by a single animal as well.
Humpback Whales are a popular attraction for Whale Watching
tours as they are very curious and acrobatic animals. A favorite
attraction is the display of great strength, a full-grown
humpback will breach (launch themselves almost clear out of the
water) and splash down with a great explosion of water.
Other pages with extensive details
on our website:
Gray Wolf,
Tufted Puffin,
Steller Sea Lions,
Bald Eagle,
Mountain Goats,
Orca or Killer
Whales,
The Red Squirrel,
Humpback Whale
and
Grizzly Bear or Alaskan Brown bear
Video:
View videos of Humpback
Whales in Alaska |
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