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I went on my first Whale Watching trip and thought it was wicked cool... even though the whales weren't very active and were asleep most of the time we were out there... it was just so fascinating!! There were two Humpback Whales sleeping away... they finally woke up just before we got ready to turn back around and head back.
Length: 30 feet
Weight: 10 tons
Color: Glossy black back with white undersides, a white patch behind each eye
Life span: males, 50-60 years; females, 90 years
Food: Killer Whales eat all sorts food. The orca, or killer, whale is the only whale that preys on warm-blooded animals.
FOOD & HUNTING
The orca whale hunts in groups, or pods, in coastal waters. When hunting for food, the orca whale uses echolocation: it sends out clicking noises that bounce back in the form of sound waves (kind of like a bat). These waves form a "sound picture" by which the whale identifies and locates prey. Once located, prey is driven toward shore so it cannot escape.
In colder waters the pod may tip up a small ice floe to catch any basking seals that slide off into the water. In open water, the orca spyhopes, or raises its head high out of the water and looks around the surface for prey.
When
attacking
large
whales,
the
whole
pod
joins
in
for
the
kill.
Some
seize
the
prey's
tail
in an
attempt
to
immobilize
it,
while
the
others
in
the
pod
attack
from
all
directions.
BEHAVIOR
The orca whale lives in closeknit pods of five-ten members. A smaller pod contains at least one adult male along with several adult females and young. A larger pod contains two-three adult males.
Each
female
stays
in
the
same
pod
for
life,
but
the
males
regularly
move
between
pods.
If
the
pod
becomes
too
large,
some
of
the
whales
break
away
to
form
new
pods.
When
traveling
together,
pod
members
stay
in
line,
rarely
spreading
out
wider
than
half
a
mile.
Although
capable
of
diving
to
1,000
feet,
the
orca
whale
usually
stays
close
to
the
surface.
When
traveling,
it
follows
a
series
of
30-second
dives
with
a
longer
dive
of
four
minutes;
when
it
hunts
the
dives
can
last
longer.
While the orca spends most of its time hunting food, it is also very playful. Pods race along the surface of the water or bleach (leap out of the water).
The Incredible Humpback Whale
Scientific Name: Megaptera novaeangliae
Distribution: All oceans, but with populations currently undergoing scientific study in the northwest Atlantic and northeast Pacific.
Average Length: 40 feet (12.5 meters)
Average Weight: 40.8 tons
Status: Endangered
Biologists have classified the 77 species of whales into two groups: The Ondontoceti or toothed whales include the sperm whale, orca and dolphins; the Mysticeti or baleen whales. Baleen is a series of brush-like keratin (human fingernails are made of keratin) plates in a whale's mouth that strain small fish and plankton out of the ocean water. Along with humpback whales, Bryde's, fin, minke, sei and blue whales are also members of the Mysticeti group.
Black on top with varying amounts of white on the throat and belly, humpback whales have distinctively long flippers for which they received their scientific name. Irregular knobs and protuberances appear on head and flippers. Frequently, the whales are observed covered with "hitch hikers" -- barnacles and whale lice. A humpback whale has a small dorsal fin, a prominent ridge and two blowholes (the whale's nostrils) on the top of its head.
The distinctive markings on each whale's tail are as unique as human fingerprints. Scientists use these markings to identify and name individual whales of the Whale Adoption Project. Social structure, migration, births and deaths are followed year after year through this method of identification.
Like all whales, the humpback is a mammal, which means the young are born and nursed with milk from the mother's mammary glands. The gestation period is about 12 months. The newborn calf weighs 5,500 pounds and can gain 100 pounds each day. The calf spends its first year at its mother's side as it learns to eat fish and become self-reliant.
A migratory species, the east coast humpback whales of the Whale Adoption Project are born during the winter in the warm waters of the Caribbean, many on Silver Bank. They head north to spend the summer on the rich polar-water feeding grounds off the coasts of the northeastern United States and Canada.
On the west coast, whales leave breeding grounds off Hawaii or Mexico to summer in Alaskan waters where their preferred prey of small schooling fish occurs in abundance.
As endangered species, they number over 15,000 worldwide, of which over 10,000 utilize the western North Atlantic. The Gulf of Maine, extending from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia, provides feeding grounds for about 1,000 of these humpbacks.
Humpbacks
have
the
longest
flippers
of
any
whale,
up to
15
feet
long.
They
also
have
prominent
bumps
on
their
head
(r
ostrum)
that
were
called
"stove
bolts"
by
whalers.
These
knobs
have
hair
follicles,
reminders
of
their
mammalian
heritage.
The
undersides
of
their
flukes
(tails)
have
distinctive
black
and
white
coloration
patterns.
These
are
used
by
researchers
for
the
study
of
individuals
and
populations.
Humpback whales are probably the most acrobatic of the great whales, often seen breaching (leaping), flipper slapping, or lobtailing (tail slaps). They are also very curious of their environment, often playing with floating objects in the water, and at times approach vessels for closer inspection.
Fin Whales are slender, fast, baleen whales that reach lengths of 70 feet and 50 tons in weight, second only to the blue whale. The most abundant large whale, there are about 75,000 in the world. Approximately 10,000 are found in the North Atlantic, of which about 20% occur in the Gulf of Maine.
Names for their large, triangular dorsal fin, they have tall vertical spouts and don't show their flukes when they dive. Coloration of this species is unique, as they have a much lighter right side than left. In addition, they have a blaze of light pigment (chevron) that extends from the side of their head to the upper back, often used by researchers to distinguish individuals.
Fin whales feed on a variety of marine prey, especially schooling fish. Although their breeding and calving grounds remain a mystery, they do seem to generally move south and/or offshore during winter months.
Minke
Whales
(pronounced
Minkey)
are
the
smallest
baleen
whale
in
the
northern
hemisphere.
Adults
generally
measure
23-28
feet
in
length,
and
weigh
about
10
tons.
They
have
a
rather
pointed
snout,
and
produce
a
relatively
small
blow
that
is
often
very
difficult
to
see.
In
the
northern
hemisphere,
minke
whales
have
a
distinctive
white
pigment
patch
on
their
pectoral
fins
(flippers).
A sleek, fast swimming whale (up to 25 knots), minkes are known for their forays into icy water, where they seek their prey of krill and fish. During feeding they are sometimes seen in large aggregations, but otherwise they are relatively solitary animals.
At one time their small size prevented most interest in their capture, but in recent years minke whales have become subject to hunting. Although not endangered, several countries have killed tens of thousands since the 60's.
Minke whales are believed to mature at 6 - 8 years of age (typical of baleen whales), and breed throughout the year.
