Hawaii Humpback Whale

Singing humpback whale The Hawaii humpback whale migrates from the icy Alaskan waters to the warm Hawaiian waters. They can cover nearly 3,000 miles in less than two months.

Like all whales, Hawaii humpback whales are mammals, and feed on zooplankton and small fishes. The humpback whale population that comes to Hawaii each winter is part of a much larger group that lives in the North Pacific Ocean.

Humpback whale and calf Hawaii is the largest breeding ground for the humpback whale. It is estimated that approximately 2,000 to 5,000 humpback whales come to Hawaii each year, a significant portion of the total North Pacific population of 6,000 to 10,000 whales.

Hawaii humpback whales are easy to identify. In comparison to other whales, they are medium-sized, with females tending to be larger than males, averaging 45 feet in body length and weighing approximately 40 to 45 tons. The calves are typically 14 feet at birth, and may weigh as much as 2 tons.

Mature humpbacks are dark gray to black on their backs and sides, with mostly dark undersides. Humpback whales have the longest pectoral flipper of all the whales, about one third the length of their body.

The fluke of a Hawaii humpback The undersides of their tail flukes are as distinctive as our fingerprints, and range from all black to all white.

The trailing edges of the flukes have a slight “S” curve and many knobby scallops and average 15 feet in width. When humpbacks dive, they often show their flukes, which researchers photograph and use to identify them.

Hawaii humpback whales with mouths open A family trait is an expandable throat that allows the humpback whales to engulf huge quantities of prey and water, more than 500 gallons per gulp. The whales separate the food from the seawater by pushing the water out through the horny tissues that grow from their top jaw, using their tongues like a plunger.

The humpbacks rarely feed during their stay in Hawaiian waters. Humpbacks have adapted to fasting during their migration and breeding seasons, while living off their fat reserves. Undoubtedly, they would eat while they were here if food was plentiful, but tropical waters are typically nutrient-poor.

Leaping humpback whale Humpback whales are also easy to see in Hawaiian waters because they exhibit many dramatic behaviors.

On their breeding grounds, the males compete for access to receptive females by slamming each other with their powerful tail flukes, lunging at and chasing each other, and producing unique and mysterious songs.

The females and young are also active, slapping the surface of the water with their long pectoral fins and tails, and hurling their gargantuan bodies into the air in spectacular breaches.

The 11 1/2-month gestation period of the humpback whale ensures that females will give birth the following winter in the warm, sheltered breeding grounds. Female humpbacks are very nurturing mothers. They stay in close contact with their young while on the breeding grounds, suckle their calves for up to a year, and defend and protect them from predators and rowdy suitors.

Humpback whale and calf underwater Calves grow quickly, sustained by their mother’s fat-rich milk, and usually double in size during their first year. After feeding all summer in the cooler, nutrient-rich waters off the Gulf of Alaska, a calf may follow its mother back to the breeding grounds the following winter.