The Humpback Whale

This is a flipper. Whales have two flippers, one on each side which they use for steering and balance.

The ear openings are behind the eyes.

Snout

This is a dorsal fin. Most whales have one on their back.

The end of the tail is made up of two sections called flukes.

What do Humpback Whales look like?

A humpback whale has special markings under his flukes. Every humpback whale has different markings. Do the flukes of these humpbacks look different to you?

It is much colder in the water than on the land so whales have a thick layer of fat, called blubber, under their skin to keep them warm.

How does the whale breathe?

Whales live in the sea but they are mammals, not fish. They breathe air like humans and other mammals. They breathe in air through their blowholes into their lungs.

Blowhole

A humpback whale has two blowholes.

Whales can hold their breath for 30 minutes when they dive underwater. When the whale breathes out, a cloud of mist appears above the water.

How does the whale swim?

Whales have two powerful sets of muscles to help them move their tails up and down to swim. They use their flippers to steer. Their skin is smooth and oily so that they can glide through the water.

Whales often throw themselves into the air head first and splash back into the water. This is called breaching. No one is sure why they do this.

What does the whale eat?

Humpback whales eat small fish and krill. They have to eat huge amounts of these tiny animals. They feed by filling their mouths with water packed with fish and krill. Instead of teeth the whale has baleen plates. These act like a sieve, letting the water out but keeping the fish trapped.

These long bristles are called baleen.

Krill Krill are tiny creatures that look like shrimps. Whales love to eat them.

How do whales look after their babies?

Baby whales grow inside their mothers. They are born underwater and look like small adults. Baby whales are known as calves. Mothers feed their babies with milk. The milk contains lots of fat. This helps the calf to get a thick layer of blubber. For the first few weeks, calves are quite weak and stay close to their mothers. They can swim but they sometimes get tired.

Protective mothers

Whale mothers are very protective of their calves. They guard them against predators such as sharks. If a calf is wounded and unable to swim to the surface to breathe, the mother will hold it at the surface for as long as she can.

Most calves stay with their mothers for two or three years.

This is a killer whale and her calf. Killer whale calves often stay with their mother for the rest of her life.

Where do whales live?

Whales often travel long distances to find food or to give birth to their babies. This is called migrating. They give birth in warmer waters and then they migrate to colder waters where they feed.

This is a humpback whale mother with her calf. After giving birth in the warmer waters, humpback mothers return to the colder waters with their calves to look for food.

Glossary

Baleen plates Large bristles which hang down from the top of the

whale’s mouth.

Blowhole Small holes on the top of the whale’s head, used for breathing.

Blubber A thick layer of fat under the whale’s skin.

Breaching When whales throw themselves into the air head first.

Dorsal fin A fin on the whale’s back used to help them balance.

Flippers A whale uses these to help steer and turn themselves in the water.

Flukes A whale’s tail is split into 2 sections called flukes.

Krill Tiny creatures that look like shrimps.

Migrate A whale will regularly travel form one part of the world to another.

Predators An animal who attacks and eats another animal.