HUMPBACK WHALES EDUCATOR RESOURCE PACKET University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 1

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1 HUMPBACK WHALES EDUCATOR RESOURCE PACKET University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 1

2 EDUCATOR COMPANION RESOURCE CD CONTENTS OF CD: Slideshow of 45 Color Images with Whale Sounds (WMV Format, 2.5 minutes) 45 Color JPEG Images Sound Files of Whale Song Mini Movies of Whale Movements (Quicktime Format) Student Fact Sheet Black and White Diagrams, Coloring Sheets Copies of Online Lesson Plans in PDF format Origami Whale Folding Instructions Full Digital Copy of This Booklet University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 2

3 HUMPBACK WHALE FACT SHEET Information collected from Internet Sources SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION COMMON NAME: humpback whale KINGDOM: Animalia PHYLUM: Chordata CLASS: Mammalia ORDER: Cetacea FAMILY: Balaenopteridae (the rorquals) GENUS SPECIES: Megaptera novaeangliae The humpback whale is one of the rorquals, a family that also includes the blue whale, fin whale, Bryde's whale, sei whale, and minke whale. Rorquals have two characteristics in common: dorsal fins on their backs, and ventral pleats running from the tip of the lower jaw back to the belly area. The shape and color pattern on the humpback whale's dorsal fin and flukes (tail) are as individual in each animal as are fingerprints in humans. The discovery of this interesting fact changed the course of cetacean research forever, and the new form of research known as "photo-identification," in which individuals are identified, catalogued, and monitored, has led to valuable information about such things as humpback whale population sizes, migration, sexual maturity, and behavior patterns. FAST FACTS: SIZE: MALE WEIGHT: DIET: GESTATION: NURSING DURATION SEXUAL MATURITY: LIFE SPAN: RANGE: HABITAT: POPULATION: 11 to 16 m ( ft.) Males are slightly shorter than females 40,000 kg (90,000 lb. or 45 tons) Krill & small schooling fishes (mostly herring, capelin, sandlance) About 12 months Up to 11 months 4 to 6 years of age At least 50 years Found in all major oceans worldwide Coastal and continental shelf waters At least 28,000; listed as Endangered DESCRIPTION: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The body of a humpback whale is black above and white or mottled on the belly. On the head and lower jaw, there are tubercles, or rounded protuberances. There are 270 to 400 black baleen plates on each side of the jaw. The head of a humpback whale is broad and rounded when viewed from above, but slim in profile. The body is not as streamlined as other rorquals, but is quite round, narrowing to a slender peduncle (tail stock). The top of the head and lower jaw have rounded, bump-like knobs, each containing at least one stiff hair. The purpose of these hairs is not known, though they may allow the whale to detect movement in nearby waters. There are between ventral grooves which extend slightly beyond the navel. The humpback whale was given its common name because of the shape of its dorsal (back) fin and the way it looks when the animal is diving. Its scientific name, Megaptera, means, "large University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 3

4 winged" and refers to its long, white, wing-like flippers that are often as long as one-third of the animal's body length. COLOR: The body is black on the dorsal (upper) side, and mottled black and white on the ventral (under) side. This color pattern extends to the flukes. When the humpback whale "sounds" (goes into a long or deep dive) it usually throws its flukes upward, exposing the black and white patterned underside. This pattern is distinctive to each whale. The flippers range from all white to all black dorsally, but are usually white ventrally. FINS AND FLUKE: Humpback whales are known for their extremely long pectoral flippers that are approximately one-third the length of their body. Tail flukes are serrated, with varying patterns of black and white on the underside. About 2/3 of the way back on the body is an irregularly shaped dorsal (top) fin. Its flippers are very long, between 1/4 and 1/3 the length of its body, and have large knobs on the leading edge. The flukes (tail), which can be 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, is serrated and pointed at the tips. FEEDING Humpback whales feed on krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans, and various kinds of small fish. Each whale eats up to 1 and 1/2 tons (1,361 kg) of food a day. As a baleen whale, it has a series of fringed overlapping plates hanging from each side of the upper jaw, where teeth might otherwise be located. These plates consist of a fingernail-like material called keratin that frays out into fine hairs on the ends inside the mouth near the tongue. The plates are black and measure about 30 inches (76 cm) in length. During feeding, large volumes of water and food can be taken into the mouth because the pleated grooves in the throat expand. As the mouth closes water is expelled through the baleen plates, which trap the food on the inside near the tongue to be swallowed. Humpback whales sometimes blow bubble nets to help them gather fish. One member of a foraging group dives down, and then swims up toward the surface in a slow spiral while releasing a series of tiny bubbles from the blowholes. The bubbles form a tubular net confusing and trapping schooling fishes. The whales then surface in the center with their mouths open to engulf the trapped prey. They fast and live off their fat layer for the winter period while on their breeding grounds, since there is little food available at that time. MATING AND BREEDING Humpback whales reach sexual maturity at 6-10 years of age or when males reach the length of 35 feet (11.6 m) and females reach 40 feet (12 m). Each female typically bears a calf every 2-3 years and the gestation period is 12 months. A humpback whale calf is between feet (3-4.5 m) long at birth, and weighs up to 1 ton (907 kg). It nurses frequently on the mother's rich milk, which has a 45% to 60% fat content. The calf is weaned to solid food when it is about a year old. Humpback whales are born during the winter. They are typically weaned in the northern hemisphere during the following December or January, although we have two cases of weaning as early as October). During its first year of life the mother seems to lead her calf through a series of locations where it learns to find food. While the calf also learns how to feed on fish during its first year (both through observing the mother, other animals, and practicing), it nurses on a rich milk, gaining up to 60 pounds per day. The father plays no role in parental care. After University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 4

5 leaving its mother, the now-juvenile whale generally stays in habitats of medium quality (with limited food supplies) for the next several years. Growth seems to occur in two major periods, one during the first year and one at 3-4 years of age. Females may have their first calf as early as five, and as late as ten years of age; six to eight is most common. Females typically have one calf every two to four years, although we have seen a few females calve in consecutive years. Males appear to be physically mature at close to the same age, they probably do not get to breed until much later in life. Expected life span is years, perhaps (much) longer. DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION Humpback whales are distributed world-wide, with three major distinct populations: the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and southern oceans. Genetic research has now indicated that these three populations do not interbreed, and have not in thousands of years. Each population shows similar migration patterns, from warm water winter breeding grounds in low latitudes (places like Hawaii, Australia, and the Caribbean) to colder water summer feeding grounds in higher latitudes (e.g., Alaska, Antarctica, and New England, respectively). Populations generally seem to be structured so that whales learn the migration route to a single feeding ground, which they return to annually, while feeding 'herds' in the same ocean generally mix on their breeding grounds. The humpback whale is highly migratory, feeding during summer in mid to high latitudes and mating and calving during winter in tropical or subtropical waters. Found in all the world's oceans, most populations of humpback whales follow a regular migration route, summering in temperate and polar waters for feeding, and wintering in tropical waters for mating and calving. In the Arabian Sea, a year-round non-migratory population of humpbacks appears not to follow this general rule. NATURAL HISTORY At least 3 different species of barnacles are commonly found on both the flippers and the body of the humpback whale. It is also home for a species of whale lice, Cyamus boopis Humpback whales are active, acrobatic whales. They can throw themselves completely out of the water (breaching), and swim on their backs with both flippers in the air. They also engage in "tail lobbing" (raising their huge flukes out of the water and then slapping it on the surface) and "flipper slapping" (using their flippers to slap the water). It is possible that these behaviors are important in communication between humpbacks. SOCIAL ORGANIZATION Humpback whales form generally fluid groups on their feeding grounds, which often seem to come together for cooperative feeding. In rare cases pairs of whales may stay together for weeks or months; in even fewer cases, these associations may last over years. Generally, though, the only stable associations are between mothers and calves; other groups split after brief periods of time (30 minutes to 24 hours). Migration probably also takes place in small groups, rather than in a larger aggregation. On the breeding grounds, males work hard to compete for females. In order to do this, males can use one of two strategies. Males sing the famous song of the humpback whale, which is believed to 'advertise' the fitness (size and power) of a male. More often, though, males join battles in 'rowdy' groups, where a number of males actually physically combat other males for proximity to a female, who is usually found at the center of the group. While mating has never been observed, it is believed that the female chooses one male to mate with in each year she mates, and the pair is together for only a brief period (several days or less) University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 5

6 WHALE SONG Perhaps the most interesting behavior of humpback whales is their "singing." Scientists have discovered that humpback whales sing long, complex "songs". They have a rich repertoire that covers many octaves and includes frequencies beyond the threshold of human hearing. Whales in the North American Atlantic population sing the same song, and all the whales in the North American Pacific population sing the same song. However, the songs of each of these populations and of those in other areas of the world are uniquely different. A typical song lasts from minutes, is repeated continuously for hours at a time, and changes gradually from year to year. Singing whales are males, and the songs may be a part of mating behavior. When in breeding grounds, mature male humpback whales produce a series of repeating units of sounds (up to 8,000 Hz) that are classified as songs. A Phrase is made up of several repeated Elements. Identical phrases are strung together to form a Theme and several Themes form a whole Song. The most basic unit of the song is a single sound or 'element'. They may be long groans, low moans, roaring sounds, trills, and chirps, and are arranged into simple repeating patterns usually with two to four different sound types. These short strings of sounds are repeated several times and are known as 'phrases'. A collection of identical phrases is known as a 'theme' and the singer moves from one theme to the next without pausing. There may be up to seven or eight themes in a song, and these are sung in a specific order, from first to last. After the last theme the singer surfaces to breathe, then sounds again to start the song again from the first theme. Humpback whale 'song' was first described in Since then, despite many studies, little has been learnt about how and why the whales sing. We know that the males produce the long songs. It is likely that, as the males sing mainly during the breeding part of the year, the song is related with mating. Whether it is used mainly to attract females or threaten other males is not known. The song itself is an amazing phenomenon. It is highly structured, and, at any one time, all the males in the population sing the same song using the same sounds arranged in the same pattern. Over time, however, this pattern changes, but all the singers make the same changes to their songs. After a few years the song may be quite different, but all the singers are still singing the same new song. Experts speculate that such vocalizations which can last up to 36 minutes may keep males spaced apart; attract females; make it possible for whales to locate each other; or communicate information such as species, sex, location, mate status, and readiness to compete with other males for mates. STATUS Because their feeding, mating, and calving grounds are close to shore and because they are slow swimmers, the humpback whales were an easy target for early whalers. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) gave them worldwide protection status in 1966, but there were large illegal kills by the Soviets until the 1970's. Approximately 200,000 humpbacks were killed between 1904 and Despite this, humpback whale populations seem to be recovering as strong population growth rates are reported. It is believed they number about 30,000-40,000 at University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 6

7 present, or about 30-35% of the original population. Humpbacks are still hunted in small number by aboriginal fisheries, and many still die from entanglement in fishing gear. Several key laws protect baleen whales, such as humpback whales. The Convention in International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) is an international treaty developed in 1973 to regulate trade in certain wildlife species. CITES protects all species of baleen whales. In the United States, the Marine Mammal Protection Act protects all whale species, making it illegal to hunt or harass them. SOURCES: (All retrieved April 2010) mpback-whale.htm University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 7

8 LESSON PLAN RESOURCES Gifted: Whale of a Scale activity (all resources on enclosed CD) Gifted: MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES ONLINE ** PBS Nature Series: Fellowship of the Whales ** FULL LENGTH video (50 minutes) excellent Radio Broadcast interview with whale song specialist; complete transcript available Short video: Cooperative feeding with bubble nets Short video: Male aggression University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 8

9 WEBSITES FOR STUDENT RESEARCH Hawaii Whale Research Foundation The HWRF researches whales and provides educational outreach to help the community better understand and appreciate these majestic animals. Alaska Whale Foundation Alaska Whale Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to research, conservation, and public education about marine mammals in Southeast Alaska. Intersea Foundation The Intersea Foundation is a nonprofit organization allowing lay people to assist scientists on high adventure natural history and research voyages among the whales of Southeast Alaska. NOAA s Humpback Whale Page The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s profile on humpback whales, including multiple links to further reading. NOAA s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary NOAA also maintains a marine sanctuary in the shallow waters of the Hawaiian Islands that serves to protect the whales and their habitats in Hawaii. The Whalesong Project The Whalesong Project allows site visitors to listen to a live feed of singing whales in Hawaii. Live listening is only available while the whales are wintering in Hawaii. While the whales migrate, the Web site provides recordings of recent songs. ARKive: Humpback Gallery ARKive hosts a great collection of pictures and videos of humpback whales. Whale Route A description of migration routes of various whale species, including the best locations for whale watching. Mayumba National Park Mayumba National Park in Gabon is another haven for migrating whales. Whale Watching in Big Sur, California The Big Sur Chamber of Commerce provides information about Humpback whale watching opportunities in the waters off California University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 9

10 WDCS The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. WDCS describes itself as the world s most active charity dedicated to the conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins and porpoises. Their Web site contains a number of useful resources for getting involved in conservation efforts. American Cetacean Society The ACS is one of the world s oldest whale conservation groups. They provide protection for whales, porpoises, and dolphins through education, research grants, and conservation programs. The Oceania Project The Oceania Project provides care, research and conservation initiatives for humpbacks and other cetaceans. PhysOrg.com Warbling whales speak a language all their own (March 21, 2006) Physicist Ryuji Suzuki uses information theory to analyze the communication power of whale songs, revealing a startling complexity University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 10

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12 HUMPBACK WHALE WORD SEARCH T L I H F H R P E X R A G R B S Z Q F X R G E M X U K E V E W U C F I E U A C J M L V F N I D M J F X Z B R F P Z P F C L I M Z L O E Y D P N S Q D O B M V I P I M O E S H W A L D S B E R J B N A U T H I N Y Y W E O Q P B O B A Z P A O M H M L E L U Q W E Y N D Y B R N C E T I M W S Q C B F B Q D I A Y Z R U S P K I T A Q C C J G M M R L O B B I N G B A Y C A L D S E L C A N R A B O J Q I K R K L D R S N A E C O S P M I U R M W U C E A K V G M P E D W Y A G A B Z H P I H H D A G V I P R O T E C T E D T C P H C U Z J O N V M S J V L W N P O P E N O T K N A L P I L K J L O P N S K W R Q N D Q O W P U E R L L E I W W N J G L I P W D I P F N Q E R R Z I V B B E A G N R E M S A V Z F W O E N T B R D H W K K B G C O L A N E M V A H L A F V K C X M Y M U T D J J X G W K L O J J L F Q D L J M A Q O E B U H V E K U U L F A Y J K M Y G I G R I G B Y R F R L I L L C G K K P D Y I G A B V Z S P S J E W U Q K F L T O H D I K L D I V E K F Z Z D G C C O D U H L F O H ACROBATIC BALEEN BARNACLES BLOW HOLE BLUBBER BREACHING BUBBLE NET CALF DIVE DORSAL ENDANGERED FIN FLIPPER FLUKE HERRING HUMPBACK KRILL LOBBING MAMMAL MIGRATION OCEANS PECTORAL PLANKTON POD PROTECTED SONG University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 12

13 HUMPBACK WHALE WORD SEARCH ANSWER KEY T L I H F H R P E X R A G R B S Z Q F X R G E M X U K E V E W U C F I E U A C J M L V F N I D M J F X Z B R F P Z P F C L I M Z L O E Y D P N S Q D O B M V I P I M O E S H W A L D S B E R J B N A U T H I N Y Y W E O Q P B O B A Z P A O M H M L E L U Q W E Y N D Y B R N C E T I M W S Q C B F B Q D I A Y Z R U S P K I T A Q C C J G M M R L O B B I N G B A Y C A L D S E L C A N R A B O J Q I K R K L D R S N A E C O S P M I U R M W U C E A K V G M P E D W Y A G A B Z H P I H H D A G V I P R O T E C T E D T C P H C U Z J O N V M S J V L W N P O P E N O T K N A L P I L K J L O P N S K W R Q N D Q O W P U E R L L E I W W N J G L I P W D I P F N Q E R R Z I V B B E A G N R E M S A V Z F W O E N T B R D H W K K B G C O L A N E M V A H L A F V K C X M Y M U T D J J X G W K L O J J L F Q D L J M A Q O E B U H V E K U U L F A Y J K M Y G I G R I G B Y R F R L I L L C G K K P D Y I G A B V Z S P S J E W U Q K F L T O H D I K L D I V E K F Z Z D G C C O D U H L F O H ACROBATIC BALEEN BARNACLES BLOW HOLE BLUBBER BREACHING BUBBLE NET CALF DIVE DORSAL ENDANGERED FIN FLIPPER FLUKE HERRING HUMPBACK KRILL LOBBING MAMMAL MIGRATION OCEANS PECTORAL PLANKTON POD PROTECTED SONG University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 13

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16 Name: Classroom: FAST FACTS HUMPBACK WHALES SIZE: MALE WEIGHT: DIET: YOUNG: MATURITY: LIFE SPAN: RANGE: HABITAT: POPULATION: 11 to 16 m ( ft.) Males are slightly shorter than females 40,000 kg (90,000 lb. or 45 tons) Krill and small schooling fishes 1 calf born to females every 1-2 years 4 to 6 years of age At least 50 years Found in all major oceans worldwide Coastal and continental shelf waters At least 28,000; listed as Endangered University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 16

17 HUMPBACK WHALES TABLE OF LENGTHS Common Name Scientific Name Length in feet (meters) Human adult male Homo sapian 6 ft (2 m) Humpback whale Megaptera novaeanglia 50 ft (15.24 m) Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus 100 ft (30.48 m) Spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris 7 ft (2.13 m) Krill/Plankton various 0.1mm School bus 40 ft Humpback whale calf 15 ft OTHER MISC. BODY PARTS SIZE/ LENGTH OF BODY PART Baleen 330 plates 2 ft long Pectoral fin 1/3 body length Dorsal fin Set back 2/3 of the body Blow hole Have two side by side 20 inches long (each) Heart 400 pounds Lungs Size of a compact car Layer of blubber 20 inches thick Fluke every whale has different markings fingerprint 12 ft wide VOCABULARY Baleen: mouth parts of baleen whale used to filter krill and plankton from the water Baleen whale: one of the two major groups of cetaceans, characterized by whales having baleen instead of teeth Blow hole: the hole on the top of a cetacean s head through which the animal breathes air Dorsal fin: the fin located on the back of the cetacean (also called dorsal fin in fish) Fluke: a whale s tail Krill: a shrimp like animal that is a major food source for baleen whales Plankton: drifting organisms found in the pelagic zone of the ocean (includes krill, algae, etc) Marine mammal: a diverse group of 120 species of mammals that live in the ocean or depend on the ocean for food Pectoral fin: the paired fins found on either side of the body of aquatic animals such as whales, and fish Sources: Partnerships for Reform through Investigative Science and Math University of Akron Oceanography, N.D.Frankovits, Instructor Page 17