Humpback Whales Hawaii (Dec-April)

Every year Humback Whales make a large migration from the cool, nutrient waters of Alaska, to warmer waters south. Some travel to Baja, Mexico, while others to the south of Japan. But the majority (over 60%) travel to Hawaii. This trek is about 3500 miles, and takes 4-8 weeks.

During their stay in Hawaii, they do not feed, but rely upon stored energy. Near the islands, the whales devote most of their time to mating and giving birth to their calves.

Blow or Spout
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.

Round Out or Peduncle Arch
When preparing for a deep dive, humpbacks will arch (hump) their back and raise their tail flukes above water. It is this pronounced arching of the back that has earned the humpback whale its common name.

Pec Slap
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

A whale slowly rises vertically toward the surface, poking its head out of the water to below its eyes. Some believe this behavior allows the humpback whale to get a better look at activity going on above the surface. [Photo courtesy of: Joe Mobley]

Tail Slap
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!

Breach
A powerful acrobatic display where the humpback uses its tail to launch itself out of the water. With just a few pumps of its tail, the humpback can propel its entire body into the air, landing back onto the surface with a resounding splash. The purpose of this spectacular behavior is still unknown. Some serves as a form of communication, or maybe just a form of playful activity for the humpback.

Whale Song

Humpbacks have a range that covers eight octaves, from a bass so low that humans cant hear it to a magnificent soprano. Their highly structured songs include multiple themes that are constantly repeated and even rhyme.

The songs last up to 30 minutes, and the whales embellish like jazz musicians, seeing who can improvise in some attractive way better than the other whale. Whales sing to one another over hundreds of miles and use their songs to navigate across oceans. Humpback whales travel thousands of miles as a group, singing to each other as they go. They can also communicate with each other over thousands of miles of ocean. Singing is part of their social system and community.

Aside from navigation and attracting mates, singing is also believed to establish a hierarchy among male humpbacks. Singing breaks out among migrating whales as they start to mix and continues not just in their breeding grounds, but to attract mates even during the feeding season.

Peduncle Slap (or Lobtail)
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.

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