Humpback whale

Apperance
The Humpback whale is easily identified at close range by its knobbly head and long flippers. It colouration is generally shiny black above with white underneath. The Humpback whale has a more robust body than other rorqual. The flippers are one third of the body length and are mottled black and white above with almost pure white below. It has a slender head which constitutes up to one-third of its total body length. The top of the head is flattened and covered by a number of fleshy knobs or tubercles. It's lower jaw has a rounded protuberance near the tip and is covered with similar tubercles to those on the head. Its back is not really humped but shows a stiffly arched tail stock. It has Baleen plates numbering between 270 to 400 are found on each side of the upper jaw. The humpbacked whale has twin blowholes. 

Weight

Length
The humpback whale are very large and varying in size from 14 to 19 metres.

Habitat
Some mixing does occur between the 10 populations around the world there has probably never been any contact between the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Humpbacks are strongly migratory, seasonally migrating from polar feeding grounds to warm temperate to tropical breeding grounds. They are famous for singing songs with all the other whales in the area and they all sing the same song which can go on for over half an hour. It's blow appearing as a single bushy spout extending to 3m in height.

Eating and Diet Habits
In the Southern hemisphere they eat mostly crustaceans such as krill and feed. They rush on their prey from below.

Predators
The only predator to a whale is a human.

Breeding Habits
They breed in the tropical breeding grounds. During breeding season the Humpback males are known for singing the long song together with the other whales in the same area.

Locations
There are 10 populations of Humpback whales around the world. Humpbacks are strongly migratory, seasonally migrating from polar feeding grounds to warm temperate to tropical breeding grounds. The healthiest populations occur in the western north Atlantic Ocean. A few other areas, include the waters near Beguia, Cape Verde, Greenland, Tonga and Australia. 

Numbers
The Southern hemisphere numbers have been reduced from 100,000 to less than 3,000.

Problems

• Due to their tendency to aggregate on the tropical breeding grounds and to come close to the shore on the polar feeding grounds the Humpback whales were highly vulnerable to whalers. Over 100,000 humpback whales were killed in the modern era.
• Whalers get big money from the slaughter of whales. In Japan whale meat can fetch up to $30 per kilogram.
• Low frequency active sonar can travel great distances and detect quiet submarines. The system uses intense sound. A NATO LFA exercise in the 1998 left numerous dead beaked whales on the coast of Greece. LFA testing off the Island of Hawaii in 1998 caused humpback whales to leave the test area, apparently resulted in separation of whale and dolphin calves from their mothers, and injured a snorkeler in the water.
• Norway has a annual whale hunt and it is expected to kill a total of 549 minkle whales.
• The decline in crustaceans numbers from man again. They are the whales main food.
• Many whales can get beached in shallow waters and die
• They are too hard to capture and start a breeding program with little knowledge of them.
• Increasing tourist interest in the whales at breeding and feeding grounds which can cause some disturbance to the whales.
• Accidental propeller cuting the the whale when submerging near boats.
• Oil ship spills may damage the whale population badly.

Solutions

• To stop the killing of whales for commercial and cultural purposes.
• Stop the needless killing of the whales.
• Reduce accidental whale deaths by beaching ect...
• Research the whales to try a miracle to breed them and bring their numbers back up.
• Humpback whales recieved protection in 1966 and again in 1985 when the International Whaling Commission instituted a moratorium on commmercial whaling.
• Fund money to pay coast gaurd or navy to watch and gaurd the remaining populations of Humpback whales from whalers, accidental accidents ect. and it shouln't take long for all whalers to give up or end up in jail.
• Control whale tourism to avoid disturbing the Humpback whales. 
• When come across a Humpback whale stay at a distance to avoid disturbing or accidental injury by propeller.
• Donate money to the Whales in Danger fighting Trust Fund. The money will not be spent and you will get it back they are only borrowing it like a bank and are putting it in trust accounts and making interest from it which they will save the whales with. You will get a lovely Certificate with amount on it from them. Just send it to them at and remember to supply them with address and details.
                                          Whales in Danger Trust
                                                   P.O. Box 224
                                               Willoughby, 2068
                                                      Australia
• The navy stop using low frequency active sonar and research or get new advanced radars which do not disturb the whales.