Humpback Whale Facts |
|
Adult humpbacks may be as long as 45 feet and weigh up to 40 tons. |
|
Adult humpbacks’ lungs are the size of a Volkswagen. |
|
Life expectancy of humpbacks is estimated at 50 years. |
|
Humpbacks are identified by the shape and markings of their tails. |
|
Humpbacks do not sleep. |
|
Humpbacks have very few predators; humans, sharks and orcas. |
|
Humpbacks do not feed while in Maui. They live off the blubber they built up while feeding in Alaska. |
|
Gestation period is 11-12 months. |
|
An average calf weighs 1 to 1-1/2 tons and is 12-14 feet long at birth. |
|
A humpback mother’s milk is the consistency of cottage cheese and is 50% fat. |
|
The mother teaches the baby “whale behavior” such as breaching, tail slapping and pec (pectoral fin) slapping while in Maui waters. |
|
Calves gain about 100 pounds and one inch per day. |
|
Only male humpback whales sing. All of the males sing the same song. |
|
Humpbacks were once near extinction due to hunting. They are still endangered but numbers are growing. |
