Creature report humpback whale3/24/2024 ![]() ![]() Rarer displays include flapping their fins like wings and occasionally gathering in "super groups" of as many as 200, though scientists don't know why. ( How scientists are unlocking the hidden world of whale culture.)Ī favorite of whale watchers, humpbacks also slap the water with their flukes and pectoral fins, rise nose-first out of the water (called "spyhopping"), and do penduncle throws, a behavior unique to this species in which they raise their entire rear torso and tail out of the water, twist, and slam their lower half down onto the ocean surface. Scientists aren't sure if this breaching behavior serves some purpose, such as cleaning pests from the whale's skin, or whether whales simply do it for fun. These whales, like others, regularly leap from the water, landing with a tremendous splash. Humpbacks are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fins, called flukes, to propel themselves through the water and sometimes completely out of it. ![]() Calves do not stop growing until they are 10 years old. Females nurse their calves for almost a year, though it takes far longer than that for a humpback whale to reach full adulthood. Mothers and their young swim close together, often touching one another with their flippers with what appear to be gestures of affection. Humpbacks migrate annually from summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding waters closer to the Equator. These baleen whales are found near coastlines, feeding on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton, and small fish. ( Listen to a humpback whale song and explore what it looks like as sheet music.) Behavior and parenting Humpback calves are known to "whisper" to their mothers. It is most likely that humpbacks sing to communicate with others and to attract potential mates. ![]() Scientists are studying these sounds to decipher their meaning. These sequences of moans, howls, cries, and other noises are quite complex and often continue for hours on end. Humpback whales are known for their magical songs, which travel for great distances through the world's oceans. They have dark backs, light bellies, pleats on their throats, and a small hump in front of their dorsal fins, leading to the common name of "humpback." Whale songs Their Latin name, Megaptera novaeangliae, means "big wing of New England." It refers to their giant pectoral fins, which can grow up to 16 feet long, and their appearance off the coast of New England, where European whalers first encountered them. Humpback whales are found in every ocean in the world. Current Population Trend: Increasing What is a humpback whale? ![]()
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