The Humpback whale

​General description

The humpback whale has a long and massive body. Its head is broad, flattened and has dermal tubercles on its muzzle and on the lower jaw. Its throat has 14 to 35 ventral folds which extend from the lower jaw to the abdomen. These folds allow the whale to considerably increase the volume of its mouth when feeding. Its dorsal fin, located two-thirds of the back, is low and perched on a hump. The pectoral fins are long (up to 5 meters) and also bear tubercles, while the caudal fin is broad and serrated. Its blue-black body is spotted with white or gray on the throat, abdomen and sides.

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Habitat

The humpback whale is a cosmopolitan species, present from the Arctic to Antarctic poles. This is a migratory species. In the North Atlantic Ocean, humpback whales migrate annually from their high-latitude summer feeding grounds to their low-latitude winter breeding grounds along the Antilles archipelago.​

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Diet

Its diet varies according to geographic region, but it mainly consumes krill and fish. The humpback whale feeds primarily by filtering organisms like krill and small fish. It uses a unique hunting method called the "bubble net": one or more individuals release bubbles in a circle under a school of prey, grouping them into a compact mass. The whale then swims through this mass, its mouth wide open, to capture as many prey as possible.

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Behavior

The humpback whale lives alone or in small groups, sometimes united in larger herds during migrations or in feeding areas. An acrobat, it jumps out of the water to land on its side or back. It also strikes the surface with its fins, tail or head. Regarding the role of humpback whale songs, several hypotheses exist and remain to be verified. 

• Attraction of females: Songs could encourage females to approach singing males or signal their availability. 

• Interaction between males: Songs would serve to establish relationships of domination or cooperation between males. 

• Colonization and signaling: Historically, songs would have promoted the colonization of new habitats, acting as a collective signal to attract individuals to new areas.