Humpback Whale

 

Animal Unique | Humpback Whale | The Humpback whale is a baleen whale species. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12 to 16 meters and weighs about 36,000 pounds. The Humpback whale has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often violated and hit the water. Males produce a complex number. Humpback whales are found in all oceans of the world, although they generally prefer near shore and near-island habitats for both feeding and breeding. Humpback whales are migratory, spending summers in cooler, high latitude waters and mating and calving in tropical and subtropical waters.

Scientific classification
Kingdom:     Animalia
Phylum:     Chordata
Class:     Mammalia
Subclass:     Eutheria
Order:     Cetacea
Suborder:     Mysticeti
Family:     Balaenopteridae
Genus:     Megaptera, Gray, 1846
Species:     M. novaeangliae

Humpback whales can be easily identified by their stocky bodies with obvious humps and black dorsal color. The upper and lower jaw are covered with knobs called tubercles, which are actually hair follicles and are characteristic of the species. The fluked tail, which rises above the surface in some dive sequence, have wavy rear edges. The long black and white tail, which can amount to one third of the body length and pectoral fins have unique patterns, which identify individual whales.

Humpback whales have 270-400 dark baleen on each side of the mouth. The plates measuring only 18 cm from the front to about 3 meters long in the back, behind the hinge. Ventral grooves run from the lower jaw to the umbilicus about halfway along the underside of the whale. These grooves are less numerous (usually 16-20) and thus more prominent than other rorqual. The stubby dorsal fin is visible soon after the blow when the whale surfaces, but disappears by the time the flukes occur. Females have a hemispherical lobe about 15 inches in diameter in their genital region. This visually distinguishes men and women. The male penis usually remains hidden in the genital opening. Male whales have distinctive scars on heads and bodies, some as a result of fighting over women.

Humpback whale feed on krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans, and various species of small fish. They feed mainly in the summer and lives of fat reserves in winter. They feed only rarely and opportunistically in their wintering waters. Humpback whales hunt by direct attack or by stunning prey by hitting the water with pectoral fins and tail fins. Killer whales are thought to prey on young Humpback whale, although this has never witnessed. The result of these attacks is generally nothing more serious than some scarring of the skin, but it is likely that young calves are sometimes slain.

The Humpback whale social structure is loose-knit. Typically, people living alone or in small, temporary groups to dissolve after a few hours. These whales are not overly social in most cases. Groups can stay together a little longer in the summer to forage and feed cooperatively. In Hawaii, Humpback whales typically belong to pods consisting of 2-3 individuals, although pods as large as 15 individuals have been observed. Scientists believe that whales belong to certain pods for relatively short periods. A kind of pod that particularly interesting is the cow-calf pod. A cow-calf pod is the longest relationship between individual whales. In this type of pod, the mother whale, the cow maintains its calf for one year during which time she nurses the young whale.

The "songs" of Humpback whales include  complex vocal patterns. All whales within a certain area and the season seem the same numbers. However, the numbers are from one breeding season to the next. Scientists believe that only male Humpback whales sing. While the purpose of the numbers is not known, many scientists believe that males sing to attract partners, or to communicate among other males of the pod.

All rorqual are hunted and some still are, although they are now protected by most countries to subscribe to the International Whaling Commission. Their tendency to frequent coastal waters and their regular return to the same areas every year Humpback whale vulnerable to exploitation by commercial whalers. Humpback whales were hunted for their oil, meat, and baleen. Populations were drastically reduced in the early 19th century. Despite their recent steps toward recovery, Humpback whale are still classified as an endangered species in terms of two populations or subpopulations.

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