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essays on humpback whales
essays on humpback whales
essays on humpback whales
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The Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, is part of the marine mammals group. They are found in oceans all over the world, they live in open waters. Even though they are mammals, they do not live on land (Monterey Bay Aquarium). Humpback whales are known for their magical song that can travel great distances. These gentle giants are omnivores, their main diet is krill. They are mostly found near coastlines feeding on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton and small fish. Humpbacks migrate annually from summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding water closer to the Equator. Humpback whales are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fin, called a fluke to propel themselves through or even out of the water! Mothers and their young swim close together, often touching one another with their flippers with what appears to be gestures of affection. Even though it takes more than one year for a humpback whale to grow fully, mother whales leave them after one year (National Geographic).
Their beautiful song can travel miles and miles underwater. These sequences of moans, howls, cries, and other noises are quite complex and often continue for hours on end. It is most likely that humpbacks sing to communicate with others and to attract potential mates (National Geographic). Humpback whales travel in groups called pods. These whales, like others, regularly leap from the water, landing with a tremendous splash. Scientists aren’t sure if this breaching behavior serves some purpose. These whales are famous for the water acrobatics. Humpback whales can frequently be seen leaping out of the water and sometimes can use their flukes to propel themselves completely out of the water (Animal Planet).
Humpback whales ran...
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... meat, blubber, bones and oil. Also, orcas hunt humpbacks in packs, especially when there is a newborn (Office of Protected Resources).
Humpback whales breath voluntarily, unlike humans. Since they have to remember to breath, researchers believe humpbacks sleep by shutting off half of their brain at a time. Like orcas and dolphins, humpback whales have noses at the top of their head called blowholes (Animal Planet). Humpback whale calves do not stop growing until they are ten years old (National Geographic). They breed, give birth and care for their newborn calves in the warm waters of Tonga. Instead of teeth, humpbacks have baleen plates, they are brush-like strands of bristle that trap there food until it is swallowed. They have very odd mouths that curve downwards, like an eternal frown. Humpback whales are amazing marine mammals (Big Animal Expeditions)
Orca whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. Orcas are very curious creatures, they like to sky hop, which is when they poke their heads out of the water and look around, and they can also dive to as much as a hundred feet. These social animals live in pods and stay with them for their whole lives. They are so family oriented that they can may sleep together in a tight circle and have synchronized breathing. Orcas can grow up to thirty-two feet and can weigh nine tons. They typically eat five percent of their body weight and are amazing hunters. The lifespan of an orca in their natural habitat is about fifty years. This lifestyle for them is wonderful because they can swim as far as they want to and are free. Orcas should not be held captive because the capture process is dangerous, it is not good for their health, and their trainers are at risk. Free Willy. Dir Simon Wincer. 1993.Video. Warner Bros Home Video
These whale songs can be heard by humans because Humpback whales usually swim near the coast and sing with a strong voice. Whale songs can be heard in 30 kilometres’ distance.
Orcinus orca is the scientific name for the massive marine mammal. Orcas are not rare, but have declining numbers in some areas (Martin.) Orcas are found from the Artic Ocean to the Antartic Ocean. (Britannica) They belong to the Delphinidae, or dolphin family, which is the largest of their species. Female orcas grow to be at the most 15 feet, and weigh up to 4 tons, but the males can grow as large as 20-30 feet, and weight up to 8 tons. (Martin) The color of the orca is white in some spots, black on the majority of the body, and gray just behind the dorsal fin. It is white on the chin, belly and the eye. The white patch above the eye is usually mistaken for the eye, and may confuse their prey, but acts as a camouflage for the eye. The name “killer whale” makes people tend to believe that this is a viscious man-eating mammal, yet it is one of the most shrewd, docile and playful species of the marine mammals. The orca is sexually mature at 10-15 years of age, much like humans, which is 12-13 years of age. They tend to mate year round, and is able to have a calf every two years. It is interesting to know that lactation of the mother lasts 12 or more months (Wynne.) The life expectancy of orcas is 45-50 years of age.
Once long ago lived a humpback whale,her name was C-witty. She was a very brave and smart whale. She was kind to
Orcas, or killer whales are majestic giants of the sea. They are actually the largest type of dolphin. They have long black bodies with distinct white patches near their eyes. A killer whale can be up to 32 feet or more in length, and weigh up to 12,000 pounds. Females are a bit smaller, but live longer (Gorman). The name “killer whale” apparently came not because it is a vicious whale, but because it preys on whales. They do not have any natural predators, and they are considered the “top dog” of the ocean. Not even the great white shark stands a chance against these superb killers. “Unlike sharks, killer whales are cautious hunters, sometimes spending hours harassing a 1,000-pound sea lion so it can easily be drowned” (Francis). Orcas use many hunting tactics that are unique to their species, which is what makes them invincible.
A large part of the whale's diet is made up of small shrimp-like animals called krill, which the animal strains with its plates of baleen. In order to get enough of these small creatures to eat, a blue whale has to filter large amounts of water. Folds of skin on its throat expand like an accordion to allow the whale to gulp in as much as 64,600 liters (17,000 gal) of water at one time. The whale then pushes its tongue (which can be as large as a Volkswagen) to the roof of its mouth in order to force out the water. Food is caught in the hairs of the baleen and swallowed. A blue whale weighing 75 to 80 tons eats about 4 tons of krill per day during the feeding season.
they look at the dorsal fin. Each pod of whales has its own individual type of dorsal fin. In some
The ocean, what a wonderful place, huh? Where the waves crash, the sky is clear, and the seagulls scavenger around. But, out there in the deep blue, lives the most peaceful creatures in the world, the dolphin. Also where his cousin lurks, the killer whale. Did you know, although dolphins and killer whales are cousins;that they have a lot of similarities and differences between their habitat, diet ,and their traits.
In this research report I will discuss the Killer Whales unique characteristics; complex migratory patterns, how and why it is endangered, and most importantly how we can help them.
Once the whales’ reach to SeaWorld, they begin their training. They are released into small pools of water, where they interact with the other whales at the facility. If the orcas do a correct job of the stunt, they are reworded with fish. If the new whale does it incorrectly, neither the trained whale nor the beginner whale gets reworded. Soon after failing the...
When you see a dolphin, you are in awe, but what sort of questions do you ask? How do they swim so fast, what do they eat, where do they live? First, the anatomy of a dolphin. We’ll start with a dolphin’s teeth. Dolphins have eighty to one-hundred cone-shaped teeth. These teeth are set up in a position to interlock and hold slippery fish in its mouth. Because the teeth interlock like that, and the teeth are as sharp as they are, dolphins cannot chew their food. Therefore, they must result to swallowing their food whole. To a dolphin, an open mouth is a sign of aggression, and clapping jaws are an even greater sign of aggression. This rarely happens unless it is during mating season because dolphins talk without opening their mouth.
The origin of modern day whales, a mystery that has puzzled paleontologists for years, may have just been solved with the discovery of an ankle bone. This discovery might sound simple and unimportant, but the bones of these ancient animals hold many unanswered questions and provide solid proof of origin and behavior. The relationship between whales and other animals has proven to be difficult because whales are warm-blooded, like humans, yet they live in the sea. The fact that they are warm-blooded suggests that they are related to some type of land animal. However, the questions of exactly which animal, and how whales evolved from land to water, have remained unanswered until now.
Whales are considered to be intelligent mammals, but they live in the water despite the fact that mammals evolved on land. Paleontologist Phil Gingerich has been studying the evolution of whales since 1978. In 1978, he and his team discovered a rock in Pakistan with a skull on the inside. The skull appeared to be a wolf-like animal upon first sight, but Gingerich noticed the distinct whale ear on the skull. The skull, which had characteristics of both whales and other mammals, was that of a common ancestor of the whale known as Pakicetus. Many scientists believe that Pakicetus resembled the seal in its appearance. Pakicetus could not be considered a whale, since its backbone and limbs do not have similar features to those of a whale. Therefore, it is considered an ancestor of the whale, since it has some features of the whale and some unique features (or features of other mammals). Today’s whales have mammalian characteristics, which prove that they have evolved from a common ancestor of the mammal. A whale’s fin also has traits that are common of many species. The fin seems to be similar to that of a fish, but the bones on the inside of the fin are similar to those on a bird’s wing, a monkey’s arm, and a frog’s limb. This seems to be proof that these organisms, and many others, all evolved from a common ancestor. Other proof that whales have evolved over time lies in Egypt in the Valley of Whales, where over 400 fossils of whales currently lie. The desert used to be a large sea that was home to a few kinds of whales. In the Valley of Whales, Gingerich discovered the Basilosaurus, which had small hind legs, toes, and a mobile knee and lived 35-41 million years ago. This fossil is considered to be a transitional fossil, since it ha...
They are the second smartest animal in the world. They nurture their young for most of their lives. They also socialise with any creature, unless they show signs of harm. Dolphins make very popular playmates and will come up to humans for almost anything. They rely on each other to live. They learn quickly and communicate well with one another. God designed dolphins with unique physical features and behaviors in order to glorify Him.
When Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins are first born, they are dark gray and get lighter as they grow older, sometimes this will cause spots (WCD). According to Whitfield on page 114, when the Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphin is young it has a normal streamlined body figure, but when it grows older it start to form fatty tissue humps. They have the average lifespan of 40 years (WCD). The Indo-Pacific dolphin can be between 6 ½ feet to 10 feet long with 120 teeth in their long beak. Using their long beak to eat, these dolphins swim up to the shallow waters and hunt for fish (Whitfield 114). Indo-Pacific dolphins are not the only type of dolphins that pray on the