Imagine hearing 1000 different complex, but harmonised sounds from the Humpback Whale. In this report you will learn about the Humpback’s habitat, predators, behaviours and a lot more.
Whales are related to dolphins, dolphins are similar in many ways;
1. Are both marine mammals.
2. Whales and Dolphins share a lot of characteristics, like they need to breath fresh air through their blowholes which are located at the top of their heads.
3. They nurse their kids with milk from the mother.
4. They have lungs, not gills.
5. They give live birth, but not eggs.
6. Humpback Whales and dolphins both have teeth.
7. Both can cooperate with humans.
Skin
You probably thing that whales never really have bugs, but you’re wrong! They’ve got a variety of bugs, for instance they get sunburnt from lying in the one spot for a while. People say that whales have lice, but they are not true lice. Inside are tiny crustaceans named cyamids, whale lice is only a nickname for them.
Length
The whale is the biggest mammal in the ocean, not doubt about that, they are massive! They are 39-52 feet or 12-16 metres long and approximately 36,000kilograms, that’s crazy! They weight up to 97,000 kilos. The reason whales are so big and heavy is because they need to store the blubber when they are not feeding and the bigger they are, the easier it is for them to stay warm in cold waters. They cannot huddle together and produce more heat then lost. Their skin is a metre thick, amazing!
Predators
Sharks, polar bears, killer whales and humas are the Humpback Whales’ predators. Humans are the worst predators. The most intense whalers come from Japan, Norway and Iceland. The reason humans can be such intense whalers is because whales provide so much food. Whales can fill a supermarket, because every part is used. In the past they would use whales’ bones as corsets, use sperm whales’ teeth as hair brushes and whips, and use skin as leather. I have only said four uses, but like I said, every part can be used.
Food
Imagine swimming through the currents, then instantly you’re inside the belly of a whale. Krill, plankton, octopus and schools of small fish all go through this. Whales are warm blooded carnivores, surprise, surprise! There are a lot of ways whales trap their pray, but I’m going to write about one. A whale blows bubbles from their blow hole which traps the small fish, the fish get confused and swim around in circles, then the Humpback Whale eats them. You probably wonder if the whale will ever be extend, sadly in the future it will be extinct if people keep whaling them.
Life Cycle
Of course, like any other animal, the Humpback Whale has a life cycle:
1. The male Humpback fights for a female.
2. When he found his female they mate in warm water
3. Then the female, which is called a cow, is pregnant for up to 10-12 months.
4. The reason the birth is so short is because the calf (baby) must have it’s first breath. The calf comes out tail first.
5. The calf grows up with their mother until the cow thinks their child is ready to migrate back.
How Humpbacks Swim
A whales’ flacks (tail) are massive. They use them to get down to depths and defend themselves by swiping their predators. Whales can hold their breath for a very long time because they have more blood to store their oxygen in then us and only use small amounts.
Habitat and Native To NZ
Well they live everywhere that has ocean revolving around them, for instance whales are native to New Zealand because the sea is all around use. The Humpback moves around the whole of New Zealand as you see on this drawing.
Whales are related to dolphins, dolphins are similar in many ways;
1. Are both marine mammals.
2. Whales and Dolphins share a lot of characteristics, like they need to breath fresh air through their blowholes which are located at the top of their heads.
3. They nurse their kids with milk from the mother.
4. They have lungs, not gills.
5. They give live birth, but not eggs.
6. Humpback Whales and dolphins both have teeth.
7. Both can cooperate with humans.
Skin
You probably thing that whales never really have bugs, but you’re wrong! They’ve got a variety of bugs, for instance they get sunburnt from lying in the one spot for a while. People say that whales have lice, but they are not true lice. Inside are tiny crustaceans named cyamids, whale lice is only a nickname for them.
Length
The whale is the biggest mammal in the ocean, not doubt about that, they are massive! They are 39-52 feet or 12-16 metres long and approximately 36,000kilograms, that’s crazy! They weight up to 97,000 kilos. The reason whales are so big and heavy is because they need to store the blubber when they are not feeding and the bigger they are, the easier it is for them to stay warm in cold waters. They cannot huddle together and produce more heat then lost. Their skin is a metre thick, amazing!
Predators
Sharks, polar bears, killer whales and humas are the Humpback Whales’ predators. Humans are the worst predators. The most intense whalers come from Japan, Norway and Iceland. The reason humans can be such intense whalers is because whales provide so much food. Whales can fill a supermarket, because every part is used. In the past they would use whales’ bones as corsets, use sperm whales’ teeth as hair brushes and whips, and use skin as leather. I have only said four uses, but like I said, every part can be used.
Food
Imagine swimming through the currents, then instantly you’re inside the belly of a whale. Krill, plankton, octopus and schools of small fish all go through this. Whales are warm blooded carnivores, surprise, surprise! There are a lot of ways whales trap their pray, but I’m going to write about one. A whale blows bubbles from their blow hole which traps the small fish, the fish get confused and swim around in circles, then the Humpback Whale eats them. You probably wonder if the whale will ever be extend, sadly in the future it will be extinct if people keep whaling them.
Life Cycle
Of course, like any other animal, the Humpback Whale has a life cycle:
1. The male Humpback fights for a female.
2. When he found his female they mate in warm water
3. Then the female, which is called a cow, is pregnant for up to 10-12 months.
4. The reason the birth is so short is because the calf (baby) must have it’s first breath. The calf comes out tail first.
5. The calf grows up with their mother until the cow thinks their child is ready to migrate back.
How Humpbacks Swim
A whales’ flacks (tail) are massive. They use them to get down to depths and defend themselves by swiping their predators. Whales can hold their breath for a very long time because they have more blood to store their oxygen in then us and only use small amounts.
Habitat and Native To NZ
Well they live everywhere that has ocean revolving around them, for instance whales are native to New Zealand because the sea is all around use. The Humpback moves around the whole of New Zealand as you see on this drawing.
This is the life cycle of a HumpBack Whale.
This is a map where whales travel around New Zealand,
The light blue is where the Humpback Whale travel around NZ, ( Dark blue is southern right, grey is Sperm whale, and the yellow is where the Bryde's whale.)
The light blue is where the Humpback Whale travel around NZ, ( Dark blue is southern right, grey is Sperm whale, and the yellow is where the Bryde's whale.)
Thank you for reading,
By Rachel.
By Rachel.