Humpback Whale Facts
Onboard Whale One we want to take you on the journey of a lifetime. Our ripper trips will engage you like no other! An awesome whale experience which we hope will instil in you the same passion that we share for these drop dead gorgeous beauties.
Humpback Whales are now protected from commercial whaling in Australia. However, off the coast of South-East Queensland in the early fifties and sixties around 40,000 whales were slaughtered for their blubber and meat which was turned into stock feed for Australian farmers. The numbers of whales in the area became severely depleted.
Humpback Whales have since recovered strongly in the Southern Hemisphere migration cycle, increasing to an estimated 13,000 animals in 2011 and continuing to grow by about 11% every year. This is amazing when you think that there was only thought to be 400 left in the mid-sixties. Nowadays, Humpback Whales enjoy additional protective measures, such as sanctuaries, in a number of countries including Australia. The Australian Whale Sanctuary provides protection for whales within Australian waters 200 nautical miles off the coastline.
Our aim is that you experience Whale Encounters and go home a fully fledged supporter of whale conservation.
What magnificent creatures Humpback Whales are!
Did you know that when they migrate they leave their main food source (krill) and have to survive off their fat stores (blubber) for up to six months!
Or that these gorgeous guys can hold their breath under water for over half an hour.
And the way us humans help identify different whales is by their tails? Each whale has different characteristics, just like our fingerprints!
Amazing!
Humpback Whales are the most acrobatic of all the great whales!
Here are some of their most famous moves
Breaching
Jumping high out of the water, sometimes twirling as they leap, and then slapping the water as they come back down. This behaviour may be done to loosen skin parasites, or have social meaning, or just done for fun! Either way, it’s a spectacular sight!
Spy-Hopping
When a Humpback Whales pokes its head out of the water and takes a look around. Usually lasts for about 30 seconds.
Peduncle Throw
The whale converts its forward momentum into a crack-the-whip rotation, pivoting with its pectoral fins as it drives its head downward and thrusts its entire fluke and peduncle out of the water and sideways.
Tail Slap
This is when Humpbacks Whales slap their tails with full force into the ocean. They will usually swing their tails into the air beforehand. The action of their tail slapping the water makes an intense sound and really helps reveal the size and strength of these amazing animals.
Did you know?
Fascinating whale facts!
Humpback Whales Have No Teeth
They have baleen plates instead, which act like a giant sieve!
The Peduncle
Humpack Whales have the strongest muscle of all animals; the “peduncle”. It’s the narrow part of the body to which the tail attaches.
Blow Holes
Humpback Whales have two blow holes, one for each lung. Each of their lungs is the size of a small car. Wow, that’s a lot of air!
Baby Whales
A baby whale is called a calf. They are nearly one tonne when they are born and suckle up to 600 litres of milk a day from their mums!
Pods
A pod of whales is more than one, averaging between two and six whales.
