Humpback whale feeding grounds are generally in cold, productive waters.Īt least four humpback whale populations occur in the North Pacific: While calving, they prefer shallow, warm waters commonly near offshore reef systems or shores. In the North Pacific, some humpback whales migrate from Alaska to Hawaiߵi-they can complete the 3,000 mile trip in as few as 28 days. They can travel great distances during their seasonal migration with some animals migrating 5,000 miles between high-latitude summer feeding grounds and winter mating and calving areas in tropical waters. Humpback whales live throughout the world's major oceans. Different groups of humpback whales use other bubble structures in similar ways, though there appears to be some regional specialization in bubble-feeding behaviors among populations. Once the fish are corralled, they are pushed toward the surface and engulfed as the whales lunge upward through the circular bubble net. One specific feeding method, called 'group coordinated bubble net feeding,' involves using curtains of air bubbles to condense prey.

They use several techniques to help them herd, corral, and disorient prey and that can include using bubbles, sounds, the seafloor, and even their pectoral fins. Humpback whales filter-feed on small crustaceans (mostly krill) and small fish. Humpback whales are a favorite of whale-watchers, as they can be found close to shore and often display activities near the surface, such as breaching (jumping out of the water) or slapping the surface with their pectoral fins and tails.ĭuring the warmer months (and occasionally into cooler months), humpback whales spend most of their time feeding and building up fat stores (blubber) to sustain them throughout the winter. We also work with our partners to ensure that regulations and management plans are in place to reduce entanglement in fishing gear, create safer shipping lanes, and protect habitats. Our scientists use a variety of innovative techniques to study, protect, and disentangle humpback whales. NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to the conservation of humpback whales. Humpback whales are a favorite of whale watchers―they are often active, jumping out of the water and slapping the surface with their pectoral fins or tails. Its long pectoral fins inspired its scientific name, Megaptera, which means “big-winged” and novaeangliae, which means “New England,” in reference to the location where European whalers first encountered them. The humpback whale gets its common name from the distinctive hump on its back.

Humpback whales feed on shrimp-like crustaceans (krill) and small fish, straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates, which act like a sieve. Some populations swim 5,000 miles from tropical breeding grounds to colder, more productive feeding grounds. They travel great distances every year and have one of the longest migrations of any mammal on the planet. Humpback whales live in all oceans around the world.

The species is increasing in abundance throughout much of its range but faces threats from entanglement in fishing gear, vessel strikes, vessel-based harassment, and underwater noise. Before a final moratorium on commercial whaling in 1985, all populations of humpback whales were greatly reduced, most by more than 95 percent.

Lions eating prey pic