Humpback whales are massive, growing up to 17 meters in length. Their huge, dark bodies are flanked by enormous pectoral flippers growing up to around a third of their body length. They use fantastic tools, such as their highly-maneuverable flippers for hunting by slapping the water for swimming and even possibly regulating their body temperature. Equipped with a giant tail, this is their identifying feature. When they ‘fluke-up’ and dive, researchers can identify individual humpback whales by the markings on the underside of their tails. Moving to their heads, humpback whales are covered in funny knobbles. Unlike Auntie Mildred and more like Sooty the cat, these knobbles or bumps are called tubercles and contain a single hair acting like a cat’s whiskers. Providing a sensory tool, these hairs provide feedback information about the whales’ surroundings.
A year in the life of a humpback whale is a tale of two halves. Humpback whales are experts in traveling and devote huge portions of their time to being on the move. With half the year spent in colder, high-latitude polar waters like Norway, they use this time to feed and fatten up. Following this period, they then head to warmer, shallow tropical waters, socializing, mating and looking after their young calves. Well-known for their underwater lullabies, male humpback whales are particularly vocal during the mating season. No one knows why this is, but it could be that males are attempting to serenade potential female partners. Covering such huge distances, humpback whales are constantly exposed to some threats and must navigate a myriad of life-threatening dangers. These include whalers, fishing nets and ships.