Jon Atkinson - World and Wildlife Photographer

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HUMPBACK WHALE

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water. Males produce a complex song, which lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and is repeated for hours at a time. The purpose of the song is not yet clear, although it appears to have a role in mating.

Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or sub-tropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, humpbacks fastand live off their fat reserves. The species' diet consists mostly of krill and smallfish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net feeding technique.

Like other large whales, the humpback was and is a target for the whaling industry. Due to over-hunting, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a whaling moratorium was introduced in 1966. Stocks have since partially recovered; however, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution also remain concerns. There are at least 80,000 humpback whales worldwide. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, humpbacks are now sought by whale watchers, particularly off parts of Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada, and the United States

(Text courtesy of Wikipedia)

Humpback 1: Lunge Feeding Humpback Whale in Boston. .

Humpback whales often feed by lunging - moving quickly toward a school of prey with their mouths wide open, then closing their mouths and filtering the salt water out using their baleen.

Humpback 2: Underside of Hupback Whale. It's eye clearly visible, Boston.

Humpback 3: Bubble net feeding Humpack Whale breaks the surface, it's baleen plates visible, Boston.

Humpback 4: Bubble net created by communal feeding Humpack Whales, Boston.

Humpback 5: Bubble net feeding Humpback Whale in Boston.

Humpback 6: Bubble net feeding Humpback Whale in Boston.

Humpback 7: Lunge Feeding Humpback Whale in Boston.

Humpback 8: Humpback Whale, Boston, USA.

umpback whales breathe air at the surface of the water through 2 blowholes located near the top of the head. They spout (breathe) about 1-2 times per minute at rest, and 4-8 times per minutes after a deep dive. Their blow is a double stream of spray that rises 10-13 feet (3.1-4 m) above the surface of the water.

Humpback 9: Humpback Whale, Boston, USA.

Humpback 10: Humpback Whale, Boston, USA..

Humpback 11: Breaching Humpback Whale, Maui.

Humpbacks have become renowned for their various acrobatic displays. The common name "humpback" refers to the high arch of their backs when they dive. One of the humpback's more spectacular behaviors is the breach.

Humpback 12: Humpback Whale Tail, Boston, USA.

The humpbacks fluke or tail fin is very broad and flat, ranging in size from 10 to 15 feet wide and are capable of propelling the whale at over 12 knots. The flukes normally have a serrated edge and a deeply notch center. The term fluking is when the whale raises its tail out of the water and descends beneath the surface.

Humpback 13: Humpback Whale, Sea of Cortez, Baha, Mexico.

Another behavior that humpback whales performs in the wild is
“flipper slapping.”Duringflipper slapping, they use their flippers to
slap the water instead of their tails. No one knows exactly why humpback whalesperform these actions, but it is thought that it may have something to do with communication.

Humpback 14: Humpback Whale, Boston, USA.

Humpback 15: Humpback Whale Tail, Boston, USA.