Humpback whale - description, habitat, lifestyle

Humpback whale means a large-sized representative of the detachment, which stands out for its external data. It is almost impossible to confuse with other inhabitants of the water depths, especially if you study all the characteristics in order. In today's article, we will consider important aspects that affect not only the description, but also the habitat of whales. You can make your own opinion about these bands representatives.

Description

1. The case in format resembles a drop. It is compacted and slightly flattened above and below. The head is huge and heavier, the front part is particularly prominent. The tail is compressed from the sides. Females in their overall characteristics are slightly larger than males, they can grow up to 14.5 m. Individuals of male gender reach about 13.5 m, this is their average value.
2. Overgrown whales were found which extended over the hull to 17.5 m. However, this is more likely an exception to the rule. The weight category ranges from 30 tons, of which from 4 to 6 tons is adipose tissue. These representatives of the order are distinguished by the largest accumulation of subcutaneous fat after blue whales. They also act as champions among the seabodile in terms of overall characteristics.
3. As for the fins, they do not stand out from those of the remaining individuals. The fin on the back is not too big, set low, about 40 cm in height. However, it is compacted and massive, slightly moving to the back of the case. When looking at these individuals from the side, it seems that the back section of the fin resembles a sickle. While the front edge is flattened. In the middle there is a notch, so it may seem that the whales are humpbacked. Actually for this reason they got their name.
4. The caudal fin is enlarged and enormous; notches of different sizes are observed along the edges. When an individual dives, it lifts its tail high, which sets it apart from the rest. After all, all other whales try not to show the tail. The fins in the sternum are very long, they occupy more than 30% of the total body length. Therefore, otherwise, these representatives of the order are called long-armed whales. In the front section, the fins on the sternum are not too even, but thick, with the presence of tubercles. There are 10 protrusions on each of the tubercles.
5. The specimens of the species under discussion are very maneuverable. Experts examining their body structure and habits have come to the conclusion that these fins have become so long due to evolution. Whales adapt to living in a particular area, so the fins play the role of thermoregulation. As for the head, it is huge, occupying about 30% of the body. The skull is flattened, the cheekbones clearly stand out, well outlined. The snout has a rounded shape, which extends forward in front.
6. On the head there are some growths, elongated in structure. They originate in the area of ​​the snout, stretch right up to the breath. As a rule, these growths are in the tens. There are about 7 of them in the middle section of the head, 5-15 are seen on the lateral parts, the same amount is observed in the lower jaw area. And in the middle there is a single and large enough growth with an irregular shape.
7. Warts are the weaving of hair follicles that were inherited by whales from their land-based ancestors. As a rule, about 1-2 hairs grow from each follicle. These grooves in each representative of the variety look individually. In the area of ​​the peritoneum and throat, longitudinal grooves are also observed. They are deep and wide, there are about 20 pieces.

Color

1. The pigmentation of the body of each individual is different, so it is easy for specialists to isolate a specific whale when observing a group. The back and sides of the body are usually black, dark gray, brownish or gray. They are always darker than other individuals. The chest and the beginning of the abdomen are pigmented with either whitish or off-white, but can be black or with spots.
2. Fins in the sternum area are colored white or black, their lower part is highlighted, and the upper part is darkened. As for the tail-type fins, they are dark, spotted, light or with dots. To conduct research and observation, pigmentation from the bottom of the caudal fins is taken into account.
3. You can’t call these whales fast-moving, for example, as individuals of the blues (relatives). They can hardly reach a speed of 10 kilometers per hour, but there are also those that accelerate to 15 kilometers per hour. Partly because of this, the skin suffers, parasitic creatures envelop the body, individuals die faster than self-similar ones due to diseases.
4. There are many pests on the hull, such as whale lice, copepods, sea ducks, etc. These creatures attack the neck area and other parts of the hull. To get rid of them, the inhabitants of the water have to jump vertically from the water with frequent intervals.

Habitat

1. It is worth noting that many decades ago, the represented individuals lived in large colonies in various seas and oceans. Such whales were found even in the Baltic and Mediterranean Sea. Individuals were found in the Gulf of Finland. To date, the presented whales remain cosmopolitan, but the population has declined extremely.
2. Such individuals are found in all places of the oceans. Scientists divided the whales in question into 3 huge populations. Each of them forms large separate herds. Many of them migrate every year. The whales that inhabit the North Atlantic form 2 huge herds.
3. Those who live in the western part often migrate from the shores of Iceland, New England and Greenland to the coast of South America and the Caribbean islands. The herd that lives in the eastern part migrates from the Barents Sea to the shores of Gabon and Cape Verde.

Lifestyle

1. The main reason for the extermination of the individuals in question was that they lived very close to the coast. They entered the deep waters only when they were about to migrate. It was such events that provoked the flourishing of whaling.
2. Females with their cubs always wintered near the coast. The rest of the humpback whales do not adhere to any one territory at all. However, some individuals try to return to their habitat from year to year.
3. It remains interesting that in life the individuals represented prefer to remain single. However, you can often find groups in which there are from 3 to 15 individuals. In places where there is no struggle for food and it is enough with your head, you can meet a huge population of mixed species.
4. According to scientists and observers, such animals are the most active, maneuverable and mobile among brothers. It is these whales that often jump out of the water and demonstrate excellent acrobatic stunts. It is worth noting that the presented individuals are very playful, so at any opportunity they frolic.
5. They soar like a torpedo soar into the air from the water. With their long fins, they create lush foam. When they roll onto their backs, they flop in the fountains of spray. The individuals under consideration are curious, and besides, they are not at all afraid of people. Therefore, they often appear on the surface of the water.
6. You can often see how entire colonies accompany tourist cruise ships and ships. In addition, when the whale exhales, it makes a beautiful and tall fountain of water.Such a sight is really difficult to convey in words. Therefore, tourists give a lot of money to swim along such a route and see everything with their own eyes.

We studied one of the representatives of the striped squad, so that you make your own opinion about the humpback whales. These individuals, undoubtedly, stand out against the background of self-similar. They are characterized by distinctive characteristics taking into account external features. Also, these individuals have a lot of subcutaneous fat, they are attacked by parasites due to the slow speed of movement. Whales are forced to constantly jump out of the water in a vertical position in order to remove pests from themselves.

Video: Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)