Nhumpback whale facts pdf files

At the top of the food chain, whales are vital to the health of the marine environment. Penis extrusions by humpback whales megaptera novaengliae pdf. Humpback whale survey transects, the eastern south pacific region, and the. The humpback whale megaptera novaeangliae is a species of baleen whale. Humpback whales are baleen whales and they have a body length between and 14 m 43 46 ft and they weigh between 25 and 30 tonnes 24. Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. Megaptera means giant wings and refers to the their large front flippers, which are up to 15 feet. The humpback whale is black or gray with a white, grooved underbelly. Their tail flukes are deeply notched and they have large front flippers. Pdf southeastern pacific humpback whales megaptera. Humpback whales have patterns of black and white pigmentation and scars on the underside of their tails that are unique to each whale, just as fingerprints are to humans. Pdf a4 species fact sheets whale watching handbook. You may be surprised at some of the characteristics as well as.

These sequences of moans, howls, cries, and other noises are quite complex and often continue for hours on end. The great whales marine mammal institute oregon state university. At birth, humpbacks weigh around 1 ton, doubling in size during. They are coloured dark blueblack on their dorsal surface and white on their underside. There is certainly plenty of fascinating aspects about whales to be aware of. Wwf documents and works to protect critical feeding and breeding areas and. Whales have sparked our curiosity and captured our imagination for. Two techniques, photoidentification and genetics, are used to. A humpback whale megaptera novaeangliae is a large baleen whale with long flippers and a knobbly head. This year 5 english worksheet includes a short passage with facts about humpback whales and questions to follow. The splash of a breach can be seen from a distance of several kilometres. This worksheet was created by primary leap read more.

Female humpback whaleswhich are larger than malescan be up to 60 feet long, and their pectoral fins alone can be 15 feet long. They can grow to 1516 m 4952 ft long and weigh up to 40 metric tons. Average nearest neighbor analysis nna within humpback whale social groups. It is a primary feeding habitat of the north pacific population. Whale shows a notable arch to its tail stock, raises its flukes above the surface where the dorsal side of the fluke is visible but there is little to no view of the ventral fluke pigmentation pattern and sounds, fully submerged and no longer visible for a period of time. Scientists are studying these sounds to decipher their meaning. Humpback whales are famous for their surface active behaviour, which can in clude breaching leaping clear of the w ater, pectoral fin flipper slapping, and tail slapping. Humpback whale facts the humpback whale is a large marine mammal that belongs to one of over 80 known species of cetacea. These marine mammals are usually identified by their enormous size, majestic whale songs and their aerial acrobatic abilities such as their ability to continuously breach the water in spite of their large bodies. Pdf understanding the distribution, habitat preference, and social structure of. Found in every ocean on earth, whales are the biggest creatures we have, and some of the most mysterious. Humpback whales are known for their magical songs, which travel for great distances through the worlds oceans. An a4 format fact sheet that can be viewed on a phone or tablet, or printed and laminated to be used on vessels during. Humpback whales measure 35 to 48 feet long and weigh up to 65 tons.