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Humpback Whales on Oahu Hawaii pictures, facts, behaviors, photos |
February is Humpback Whale Awareness Month
Top 10 spots to see Humpbacks Whales from shore on Oahu: (Our whale watching tours exclusively cover one third of these areas by
boat) 1.
Ka'ena Point, Leeward side Source: Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Humpback Facts The Humpback Whale is one of Hawaii's most iconic creatures (it was once the state mammal!) and can be found on all of the main islands during winter season. • The humpback whale is the fifth largest of the great whales. • When preparing for a deep dive, humpbacks arch their back and raise their tail flukes above the water. The whale's arched back appears above the water as it dives. It is this arching that has earned the humpback whale its common name. • A humpback's pectoral (side) fins can be up to 15 feet long, and are one third its body length. • Adult female humpbacks can be up to 45 feet long; males are generally 42 feet long • A mature humpback can weigh up to 45 tons (90,000 lbs) • Baby humpbacks (calves) are generally 10 to 15 feet long and average 3,000 pounds at birth, they gain 100 pounds a day on their mothers rich milk. • Humpbacks swim tremendous distances during their migrations: up to 7,000 miles round-trip between their summer feeding areas of the North Pacific and their winter breeding grounds in Hawai'i •
The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary supports management,
research, education and long-term monitoring for the endangered humpback
whale Humpback whales can live up to 95 years, eat anywhere form 2,000 to 9,000 pounds of fish and krill each day Hawaii has several species of whales and large dolphins that make their home here, including the melon-headed, false killer and pilot whales. Most humpbacks remain in Hawaii for 6-8 weeks, with some extending their “vacation” to late May or early June.
It’s not uncommon for natually curious humpback whales to come up alongside the boat, or even swim beneath it. Captains nicknamed these events “whale muggings” because legally they cannot move the boat until the whale has departed!
Male Humpbacks have been witnessed using glancing rostrum blows, lateral fluke swipes, bubble streaming, head lunging, and various vocalizations during mating challenges.
These competitions can range in size from three whales to two dozen and are an amazing sight to witness.
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| Copyright 1996 Wild Side Specialty Tours. All rights reserved. |
When a whale dives, air is compressed in its lungs. Upon reaching
the surface, the air is exhaled through the whale's blowholes. The
exhaled air expands, causing the temperature to decrease, thereby
condensing into water vapor. The blow is quite visible and can reach
heights of 20 feet. In concert with the blow is the sound of rushing
air that can be heard up to 800 feet away. The blow of 
a humpback
whale is unique to each animal and a great way to distinguish between
types of whales. On average, adult humpback whales take a breath every
ten to fifteen minutes, but can remain submerged for as long as forty-five
minutes. Calves must rise to the surface every three to five minutes
to breathe.
The humpback's pectoral fin is longer than that of all other species
of whales, measuring one-third the whale's body length, or approximately
twelve to fifteen feet. Humpbacks will often roll onto their side
or back and slowly slap the water's surface with one fin or both fins
simultaneously. The slapping of fins may serve as a communication
signal to other whales.
Head Rise (aka Spyhop)
A tail slap consists of a whale raising its tail flukes out of water
and slapping them forcefully on the surface of the water. When the
flukes hit the water, a loud resonant noise can be heard for miles.
Humpback whales are known to repeat this behavior over and over. This
behavior may serve as a warning to others in the vicinity. Tail slap,
blow and pec wave clip!
An aggressive display where the humpback whale will thrash the surface
of the water by whipping its upraised flukes from side to side. Humpbacks
will slap the surface of the water as a warning signal to others or
bash other whales during aggressive competition.
Nursing Whales lips aren’t flexible enough to form a suction around the mother’s nipple like other mammals. To do so, a baby whale curls its tongue. A good suction is assisted by the flaps on either side of the tongue - you can see them to the right (along with the white colored baby baleen). As the baby whale gets older and is no longer suckling, the flaps will mostly disappear. Cool, huh?