HUMPBACK WHALE
HUMPBACK WHALE
Image by Christopher Michel (CC by 2.0)
DID YOU KNOW?
Each Humpback whale has a unique design on its belly, just like a human fingerprint.
Humpback Whales are found in all the oceans worldwide and migrate between the colder polar regions and warm tropical waters, where they mate and give birth. The males court potential female companions by serenading them with songs which indicates their availability to mate. The mother-calf relationship is an important and special bond for the calf’s growth. Humpbacks live in pods which can have as few as 2-3 individuals of which the most common one is the mother and calf pod. The mother stays with her calf for a year as she nurses it and they may be accompanied by a third adult whale who is their “escort”.
THE SONG OF THE WHALE
The humpback whale’s “singing” is believed to be symbolic of how this whale is a keeper of the ocean’s mysteries and secrets. For years many scientists have been studying their “songs”, which are believed to be one of the most complex and beautiful ones in the animal kingdom. In fact, the first humpback whale song was sold as early as 1970 through Dr. Roger Payne’s efforts. Even today, recordings of their songs are popular and are listened to worldwide. It is possible that scientists may never learn the meaning of their song to its full extent.
Whale Song
CURRENT STATUS
Sub-populations of this species are currently listed as endangered in Oceania and the Arabian Sea.
CHALLENGES
Entanglement in fishing gear is a major threat for the Arabian Sea sub-population which is already small. This is a major concern especially when the lives of female Humpbacks are at stake. Whale hunting is a major threat for the Oceania sub-population where more than 200,000 Humpbacks have been killed in the past century. Despite legal protection, there have been occurrences of illegal hunting in the Oceania region.
GREENPEACE USA
OUR ALLY FOR PROTECTING THE HUMPBACK WHALE
Greenpeace USA
The Greenpeace USA chapter has undertaken several measures for the protection of the Humpback Whales. The “Save the Whales” campaign targets illegal commercial whaling, and are dedicated to creating awareness about countries that practice this. They work to persuade countries that are currently voting with Japan to overturn the commercial whaling moratorium to reconsider their approach and instead vote to protect whales, help expose Japan’s black-market whale meat trade — which is both unpopular and uneconomical — to create a public discussion in the Japanese media about the future of whaling, and work to hold our government accountable for closing the loopholes in international agreements and ending all commercial whaling.
Our allies at Greenpeace USA have suggested these actions that can help save the whales:
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Sign the petition to help Greenpeace create two huge new sanctuaries in the Antarctic ocean that will help ensure whales (and penguins and sea birds) have enough food to eat.
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Demand that big corporations end plastic pollution in our oceans. Sign the petition here.
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Conduct your own plastic audit using Greenpeace’s guidelines here and report your findings to them.
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