With the name of humpback, gubarto or humpback whale, the animal species Megaptera novaeangliae, is one of the most striking and special species of whales.
Characteristics of the humpback whale
The humpback whale is a baleen whale, sharing a family with other species such as the blue whale, the fin whale or the common minke. In 1756, the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson named it New England whaleCurrently, its scientific name takes this first name but in Latin. However, at the beginning of the 19th century, it began to be called a yubarta or humpback whale, due to the curvature that its column shows when it submerges in the water.
Humpback whales have a very special anatomy, highlighting their large pectoral fins, reaching a third of the size of the rest of the body. In contrast, its dorsal fin is small, displaying shapes that range from sickle-like to almost imperceptible.
The humpback whale's head is unique, being knotty and quite elongated, it has lumps called cephalic tubercles that are only present on this species. Its tail, which comes out of the water when it dives, has an exclusive pattern for each specimen, in which black and white are mixed. The color of its body is variable on the belly, ranging from white to black or mottled, but in all individuals the back is black.
Humpback whale size
The humpback whale is a large cetacean, being one of the largest Torcuales Specifically, the sexual dimorphism of the species, since the females are significantly larger than the males. The difference is notorious, because while a female usually measures between 11, 9 and 13, 9 meters, with maximums of up to 15, 5, males usually meet in the range between 11 and 13 meters, although specimens of up to 14 meters have been recorded[1]
Humpback Whale Habitat
Humpback whale populations exist in both the northern and southern hemispheres They live in oceans between latitudes 60º south and 65º north, carry out a complex annual migration. During the summer, it lives in seas with colder waters, at high latitudes, while in winter it prefers to move to warmer waters.
People are often distinguished populations based on their location, the three most important being those present in the North Atlantic, those in the southern hemisphere and those of the North Pacific. It is not common for populations from different places to interact with each other.
Humpback Whale Migration
The migration of humpbacks is seasonal, migrating at the beginning of summer, when they prefer cold waters, staying there until winter, when they travel to warmer waters.
As we have mentioned before, there are three main humpback populations, the migration of each of them is different For example, the whales The Pacific live in winter on the coasts of Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico or Japan, while the summer is usually spent on the coasts between the territories of California and Alaska.
Distances traveled during migration can be incredibly long, with each whale reaching a distance of up to 25,000 kilometers in a single year. During the time they are moving they hardly rest, nor do they stop to feed, surviving thanks to their body fat reserves.
Humpback Whale Behavior and Habits
Humpbacks are gregarious animals, which live in communities. These groups of whales are small, only the link between the mother whales and the calves being reliable and stable. One of the reasons why the groups change their composition is the strong rivalry that occurs between humpback males. This competition is especially fierce during the mating season, which takes place in the summer. At that time, the males have to prevail, since humpback whales are polygamous, that is, they do not have a stable partner.
These cetaceans communicate with each other through vocalizations These, like size, they differ according to sex In males, the song is long, complicated and very sonorous, while in females they are weaker and shorter. These songs have an average duration of between 10 and 20 minutes, and can be repeated constantly throughout the day.
This song is used to distinguish the individuals of a population, since it has been observed that humpbacks in an area all have the same song, which changes over the years. Despite being a well-studied song, its exact purpose is unknown. Some hypotheses suggest that it could serve as a tool for males to attract females, and others that it is an echolocation mechanism.
Regarding their nutrition, whales have a limitation in food consumption, since being baleen whales, they lack teeth. This leads them to consume very small foods, since they cannot crush or chew larger ones. For this reason, humpback whales base their diet on krill, tiny crustaceans, and plankton, as well as small fish such as herring or mackerel.
Is the humpback whale endangered?
The humpback whale is in the category of conservation of least concern, although this is declining, according to data from the IUCN [2] Although a few years ago the situation of the humpback whale was considered vulnerable, at present the populations seem to have been recovering, passing to the situation of minor concern.
However, this improvement is not present in all the subpopulations, since there are two of them that, instead of growing, continue to decrease. The fact that this species has been found so threatened derives from the fact that it was previously one of the targets of commercial huntingThis is currently prohibited, so populations have been able to recover.
