WHALE FACTS!!!
How large are the whales and what do they weigh?
Humpback Whales weigh approximately 1 ton (2000 pounds) for every
foot of length. Adult males reach a length of 40 feet and weigh in
at 40 tons.
How do researchers identify one whale from another?
Humpback Whales can be identified by the markings and shape of
their tails. These indentifying markings are as individual as our
fingerprints. Researchers take pictures of all whales sighted and
catalog the pictures in large albums. Each year they compare the
new pictures to the ones previously catalog. They then can tell
which whales are returning to Maui each year. One year they had
sighted a specific whale in Baja California and then three weeks
later the same whale was sighted in the waters around Maui. It was
something that they had not expected.
What is "Tail Slapping"
This is when a whale will hit the surface of the water with its
tail in a slapping motion. It is not quite known why they do this.
Researchers have speculated that it is used by the males to either
attract females or it is an aggressive posture to ward off other
males.
What is "Breaching"
This is when the whale lifts almost its entire body out of the
water. It will turn its body while in the air so that it will land
on its back. Researchers speculate that they breach to remove
parasites such as barnacles from their bodies. Other theories are
that they want to take a look around, they are just being playful,
or that they are trying to attract the attention of other
whales.
What is "Fluke Slapping"
This is when the whale will raise one of its two flukes and slap
it against the surface of the water. Researchers believe this is
another agrressive posture toward other whales. It is also believed
to be a method that the female whale uses to stress or enforce a
lesson to her calf.
What is "Spy Hopping"
This is when the whale will poke its head out of the water
vertically just far enough for his eyes to break the surface.
Researchers believe they do this to look around to either see who
or what is around or to get their bearings.
Do whales leave "Footprints"
Whales create a footprint that is visble on the surface of the
water. It is a circular area where the surface of the water is
smoother than the surrounding water. This smoothness is the result
of the vortex created by the whale's tail as it moves it through
the water just below the surface.
How many whales visit the Maui waters?
It is believed that approximately 1,500 to 2,000 humpback whales
visit the waters around Maui each year between December 15th and
May 15th.
What do the whales eat while they are in Maui?
The whales do not eat while they are here. They live off their
thick coat of blubber. They only feed in the polar waters near
Alaska during the summer and fall months. They are baleen whales.
They feed only on small shrimp-like critters called krill which are
abundant in the polar waters.
How do they eat?
The humpback will dive down deep under a large swarm of Krill. It
will begin a slow circular motion while blowing bubbles out of its
blowhole. The raising bubbles corral the Krill. The whale will then
open its mouth fully and swim up through the center of the circle
of bubbles it created scooping up the corraled Krill. It will
continue its upward movement until it breaks the surface of the
water. The water will then flow out through the baleen but leaving
the Krill trapped in the whales mouth. The whale ends up with a
feast.
How much weight do the calves gain each day?
The female will nurse her calve to gain 200 pounds a day during
the first few weeks of life.
How close can I get to the whales?
In 1992 the official Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National
Marine Sancutuary came into being. Under this Act, it is unlawful
for anyone, without special permission, to come within 300 yards of
the humpbacks in the known calving areas and 100 yards in all other
areas.
How often do whales breathe?
Humpbacks need to breathe every 7 to 20 minutes.
What kind of binoculars are good for whale watching?
I have found that a 10x40 wide angle lens work very well.
Who is the whale named "Yoda"?
The Hawaiian Whale Research Foundation has documented the
appearance of one particular whale that has been returning for the
last few years. They have named it "Yoda". "Yoda" is noted for its
ability to "sail" its tail out of the water for up to 20 minutes.
It appears like a boat on the horizon.
Which gender of the Humpback Whale does the singing?
The male whale is the only one that sings.
CAUTION !!
A word of caution to all our visitors to Maui. It seems that
even the most well intention drivers forget about other drivers
around them when they spot a whale.
A driver will suddenly and without warning slam on his breaks.
This has caused a lot of accidents.
If you do sight a whale while driving, please keep your
excitement under control until you can safely maneuver your car
completely off the road.
Also please keep a safe distance from the car in front of you in
case they haven't read this warning and decide to make a full stop
in the middle of the road.