Species spotlight: Humpback whale
Apr 21st, 2010 by wwftravel
- A humpback whale jumping out of the water. © Sylvia Earle / WWF-Canon
Habitat: Humpback whales make extensive seasonal migrations: Winters are spent mating and calving in warm sub-tropical waters and summer months are spent in colder waters feeding.
Diet: Primarily krill, plankton and small fish. The humpback is a baleen whale, which means it has no teeth and feeds via filtering.
Threats: Pollution, ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Habitat loss and harassment along coastlines is also a concern.
Interesting Fact: Humpbacks are famous for their “singing.” They produce a long series of calls and may repeat the same song for several hours. Researchers are not sure why humpback whales sing but hypothesize that they may use song to attract potential mates or stake out their territory.
Look for humpback whales during one of WWF’s Alaska tours.