Humpback Whale
Humpback whales belong to the same family as the blue whale, sei whale and minke whale. They generally feed on krill, small fishes, and small shrimp-like animals. They are the noisiest whales as they are known for singing songs. Sometimes, their songs can last for more than an 20 minutes. These songs are basically sequences of cries, moans, howls and some other complex noises.
Quick Facts: –
- They are powerful swimmers. These whales use their massive tail fin while swimming to propel themselves. This tail fin is called fluke.
- They can be found near coastlines.
- They could reach up to 60 feet in length and weigh up to more than 40 tons.
- Songs of these vocal creatures are not inborn. They learn them from each other.
- These songs can be heard up to 20 mile away
- They prefer warm waters of Tonga for breeding and taking care of their young.
- These omnivorous animals belong to the group pod.
- They keep growing till the age of 10 years.
- There are around 40,000 existing humpback whales now on the earth.
- Female humpback whales are longer and heavier than the males.
- Females give birth once in every two or three years. They have a gestation period that lasts about a year.
- Just like dolphins, humpback whales also sleep with only half of their brain shut.
- They have two blow holes, one for each lung.
- Humpback whales are known for their tail slap. This action shows their size and strength.
- They have baleen plates instead of teeth. These plates act like a giant sieve.
- At the time of birth, calves weigh about 1 tonne and their daily milk requirement is 600 litres.
