Whale Watch: Whale Tails

One of the whales you're likely to spot during a Boston Harbor Cruises Whale Watch is the humpback. These Northern hemisphere humpbacks reach an average length of 50 feet, and a weight of about 37 tons! Sadly, they're also among the most endangered, and it’s estimated that only 8 percent of their original population remains.

• The humpback got its name because of the way its back arches out of the water when getting ready to take a deep dive. "Megaptera" is its true scientific name, which means "large-winged", in reference to its long flippers.
  

• Each Humpback has distinct black and white markings on its fluke (tail). Since no two flukes are alike, scientists use these markings to distinguish one humpback from another.
  

• When humpbacks are leaping up into sight, we're sorry to say they're not doing it to put on a show for you. It's actually called "lunge feeding" - a method they use to plow through heavy areas of food with their mouths open wide and ready for catches. While you're taking pictures, they're dining on schooling fish like anchovies, cod and capelin.
  

• Humpbacks are also famous for what we've come to know as their "singing". These mammals can put Pavarotti to shame: they're capable of hitting octaves that include frequencies we humans can't pick up. Male humpbacks are the divas in this species, with songs lasting as long as a half hour - and then repeated with slight changes. While singing, the whale floats essentially motionless and head down in the water. The purpose of the song is believed related to mate attraction, and possibly male dominance/aggression behavior. Scientists also believe humpbacks communicate by slapping the water with their fins and tail flukes, which create noise and can be heard from far away under water.

For even more whale information visit these sites:

The Whale Center of New England

Whaling.com: News and Stories

Whale.net: Interactive Educational Website

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