Humpback whales are famous for their songs and long pectoral fins, but did you know that they also travel the longest yearly migration route of any mammal? They travel from their cold-water feeding grounds to warm-water mating/calving grounds every winter, up to distances of 5,160 miles (8,300 km)! As baleen whales, humpbacks eat mostly krill and small fish, and need to consume thousands of pounds of food per day. Scientific Name: Megaptera novaeangliae (big-winged New Englander) Picture 1: a humpback whale performing an aerial display. This behavior is common for this species, but is uncommon in other baleen whales. (photo credit: animalians.wikispaces/Humpback+Whales) Picture 2: a humpback whale in the singing position. It is thought that this tail-over-head position helps the whale move air through its body air spaces to make its song. (photo credit: animals.nationalgeographic/animals/mammals/humpback-whale/) Learn More: nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/humpbackwhale.htm whaleroute/migrate/
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 13:23:15 +0000