Spotting humpback whales is a popular tourist attraction the waves Sightseers snap photographs as its dark gleaming head rises above the surface The massive creature is a humpback whale It has a length of 40 feet 12 m but some humpback whales are even longer The whale has a shiny black top with a spotty white and black underside Large knobs appear all over the whale's head Its powerful tail known as a fluke helps the whale move forward The whale also has two large flippers that help it move as it surges through the waves These flippers are one third as long as the whale's body
The whale swims in a group with five other humpback whales The whales are active and playful They plunge deep below the waves and come up again to slap their flippers on the surface One whale uses its fluke to propel its Whale Watching Visitors to Maine Alaska and Hawaii can take boat tours to see humpback whales up close Approximately 13 million people worldwide go whale watching each year Scientists warn about the possible harm caused by whale watching The boats can get too close to whales and disturb them These disruptions can affect their behavior Sometimes boats also strike whales and kill them But some experts say the tours have benefits The tours can educate people about humpback whales and their needs Still having too many boats in an area at one time can have negative effects Some countries have laws that limit whale watching entire body above the surface This is known as breaching The whale rises in an arc through the air Then it swoops back underwater with a giant splash People marvel as the humpback whales swim and frolic But the whales
Migration Routes ARCTIC OCEAN EUROPE NORTH AMERICA ASIA AFRICA ATLANTIC OCEAN PACIFIC SOUTH AMERICA OCEAN AUSTRALIA ANTARCTICA Humpback Whale Migration Humpback whales have some of the longest migration routes of any animal Whales in the Pacific Ocean travel approximately 3 000 miles 4 830 km in each direction of migration These whales travel between Alaska and Hawaii Whales follow different routes depending on where they live Why do you think whales migrate such long distances What challenges might they face on long migrations do not stay for long They have come to these waters to feed The whales keep traveling in search of small fish and krill to eat
Humpback Whales around the World Humpback whales are a common sight in the waters near Maine Their scientific name is Megaptera novaeangliae The word Megaptera or large winged refers to their large winglike flippers Novaeangliae means New Englander Scientists named the whales after the region of New England where they are often found These are North Atlantic humpbacks which come to feed in the waters near New England during the spring months The massive whales eat up to 1 100 pounds 500 kg of fish and krill per day Humpbacks aren't only found in New England They have been found in each of the world's oceans In the summer many whales live near the North and South Poles They migrate during the winter months to warmer waters near the equator But humpback whales don't cross the equator Humpbacks feeding near Alaska and Siberia travel south to Hawaii
