Pacific whales and Humpback Whales in Hawaii, Tail Flukes, Breaches and pacific Whale Research and whale watching tours.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright 2005/6 PocketPCMan ©
Pacific Humpback Whales in Hawaii,
Humpback
Whales.
Named for the arching of its back when it begins a deep dive, these graceful
mammals are among the most endangered whales. Fewer than 10% of their original
population remains. Recent efforts to protect humpbacks have resulted in a
stabilization of their numbers.
Humpbacks live in all oceans and migrate to warmer waters during winter where
they breed and give birth to calves. They do not feed while in the warmer waters,
since their favorite foods are found in the colder waters of their summer feeding
areas. Scientists have discovered three distinct populations of humpbacks: Southern
Hemisphere, North Atlantic, and North Pacific. All are baleen whales, which use
throat pleats to filter out small fish, krill, or plankton from large mouthfuls of water.
The humpback's scientific name, Megaptera, means "large winged."
This refers to their long flippers, which they sometimes use to slap the water and
to stroke each other. They are incredible acrobats, and sometimes breach, or jump
out of the water, landing with a mighty splash. Scientists believe these behaviors
are a form of communication, since the slapping and breaching make a lot of noise, which
carries a long way underwater. Even at a distance, the site of a 50 feet long, 40
ton mammal leaping almost completely out of the water is awe inspiring!
Male Humpbacks are incredible singers, able to cover frequencies past the realm
of human hearing. Some songs last 20 minutes or more, during which the singer floats
motionless, with his head angled slightly down. The songs carry for miles
underwater, and are repeated, with slight variations.