Humpback Whale Fluking
Humpback whale, Iceland
The humpback whale can be seen all around Icelandic waters. The humpback whale is much stockier than the other rorquals and has a characteristic warty nose. It can reach up to 17 m length and 40 t in weight. Humpback whales have exceptionally long, up to 2 m long pectoral fins. Humpbacks may slap the water's surface with one or both pectoral fins simultaneously.
In the early spring, the humpbacks begin their long journey from the Gulf of Mexico to Iceland. The whales swim for about a month before they reach the southern coastal waters of Iceland. By the end of October and early November, most of the humpback whales are well fed and prepared for their seasonal migration back to the Gulf of Mexico.
Humpback whale does not possess teeth, so it must capture its food using various hunting methods. One technique these whales use is known as bubble netting. Bubble netting is a group activity.
One group of whales will swim below a large group of fish and form a circle, which they use to herd the fish together. The group then begins blowing bubbles to enclose and shrink the circle of fish and compact the fish into a tight herd. Once they’ve herded the fish together, they can then take turns swimming through the herd consuming as many fish as possible.
Humpback Whale Fluking
Humpback whale, Iceland
The humpback whale can be seen all around Icelandic waters. The humpback whale is much stockier than the other rorquals and has a characteristic warty nose. It can reach up to 17 m length and 40 t in weight. Humpback whales have exceptionally long, up to 2 m long pectoral fins. Humpbacks may slap the water's surface with one or both pectoral fins simultaneously.
In the early spring, the humpbacks begin their long journey from the Gulf of Mexico to Iceland. The whales swim for about a month before they reach the southern coastal waters of Iceland. By the end of October and early November, most of the humpback whales are well fed and prepared for their seasonal migration back to the Gulf of Mexico.
Humpback whale does not possess teeth, so it must capture its food using various hunting methods. One technique these whales use is known as bubble netting. Bubble netting is a group activity.
One group of whales will swim below a large group of fish and form a circle, which they use to herd the fish together. The group then begins blowing bubbles to enclose and shrink the circle of fish and compact the fish into a tight herd. Once they’ve herded the fish together, they can then take turns swimming through the herd consuming as many fish as possible.