|
History and General Information on the Humpback Whale
No one knows exactly when Humpback whales first began wintering in the warm, shallow waters around Maui. Reports from whalers document the appearance of these majestic giants in Maui in the 1840's, but little evidence substantiates an earlier presence.
But arrive they did, and today the waters around the Hawaiian Islands of Kauai, Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Molokini, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe constitute one of the world’s most important habitats for the endangered North Pacific Humpback Whale and offers some of the best whale watching in the world. Hawaii is the only place in the U.S. where Humpbacks breed, calve, and nurse their young. Scientists estimate that two-thirds of the entire North Pacific population (approximately 4,000-5,000 whales) migrate to Hawaiian waters each winter, where boats like ours, the Kai Kanani, carefully navigate amongst them providing unrivaled whale watching opportunities. While you can take a whale watch tour elsewhere, it's not likely that it will surpass a whale watching tour here on Maui, Hawaii. The proximity of Maui, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Molokai create a shelter unique in all the world for these gentle giants to breed and give birth.
Description
Distinct populations of Humpback whales are found in each of the world's oceans. Newborn calves, weighing an average 1.5 tons, range from 10 to 16 feet in length. Males may reach 43 feet in length, while females are slightly larger, averaging 45 feet. A mature Humpback weighs up to one ton per foot, or about 85,000 - 90,000 pounds. Researchers believe Humpbacks can live to 40-60 years.
Grayish-black in color, Humpback whales have white markings that are distinct to each individual. A whale swims by moving its tail or fins up and down (fish move their tails from side to side). The pectoral fins, located on each side of the whale, are used to turn and steer. Humpbacks breathe through a double blowhole located on top of their head. Even if you don't take a whale watching tour or trip on a boat, if you're here on Maui during whale season, the "spouts" caused by their breathing is one of the easiest ways to spot Humpback whales from the shore.
The Humpback's scientific name, Megaptera Novaengliae (“Great wings of New England”), refers to its huge fifteen-foot pectoral fins. The name "hump-back", coined by whalers, probably resulted from the appearance of the arching of the caudal peduncle while diving, coupled with the prominent dorsal fin.
Migration
The North Pacific Humpback whales that you see on a Maui whale watch spend the summer in temperate waters from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to the Farallon Islands off the coast of central California. During the colder winter months, November to May, the majority of the North Pacific stock is found in the warm waters off Maui where they breed, calve, and nurse their young. During this time these incredible animals can be observed on a Maui whale watching tour.
The remaining Humpback whales are found off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, and throughout the islands south of Japan. In the South Pacific, Humpbacks feed near Antarctica in the austral summer, November to May, and spend the austral winter, June to October, breeding off east Australia and South Pacific Islands. Consequently, researchers believe northern and southern stocks do not intermingle.
Humpback whales are not fast swimmers. While they can attain speeds of 20 mph for brief periods, they average three to six mph - and you'll see this behaviour on a Maui whale watching trip. How long it takes to travel the more than 3,500 miles between the feeding and breeding areas is not known. Timing of the migratory cycle ensures that pregnant females and mothers with new-born calves spend the majority of their time in the relatively warm waters off Maui.
Some migration of individual Humpback whales between breeding areas has been discovered. Whales photographed from a Maui whale watching trip in Hawaii one year have been observed in Mexico and south of Japan in other years. One Humpback whale was observed in both Mexico and Maui, Hawaii during the same winter!
Mating & Birthing
Humpback calves are both conceived and born near Maui and all of Hawaii; the gestation period is 10-12 months. Although sightings of calves on a Maui whale watching trip are common during the winter, no well-documented evidence of an actual birth exists. After a calf is born, its mother will remain close to shore, resting and nursing her newborn. Calves survive on their mother's fat-rich milk for six to eight months. They grow at an astounding rate, nearly doubling in length during their first year.
Often seen on whale watches near Maui’s shores and Molokini, mothers and calves are accompanied by a third Humpback whale called an escort. The escort whale, assumed to be a sexually active male, remains with the mother and calf for less than a day, with most associations lasting a few hours. Male and female Humpback whales do not form long-term pair bonds.
Although it has never been documented, mating may occur in association with large surface-active groups of whales which include a single receptive female who is pursued by a number of males. Competition for the female involves a variety of intensely aggressive behaviors that may occasionally escalate and result in death.
Whale Song
Humpback whales produce a wide array of sounds, including the highest and lowest frequencies humans can hear. The Humpback whale does not have functional vocal cords; evidence suggests that their sounds are produced by valves and muscles in a series of blind sacs which branch off in the respiratory tract.
During the winter breeding season, male Humpback whales produce long complex patterns of sound called "songs" which they repeat for extended periods. Discrete notes occur in patterned sequences that make up a phrase. A consecutive group of phrases constitutes a theme. A predictable series of themes forms a song. These songs can easily be heard while snorkeling at Molokini if you dive a few feet below the surface or on board a Kai Kanani whale watching trip with our underwater hydrophone.
Researchers believe the song may serve to attract females, to scare away other males, or to maintain the distance between singers. A song generally lasts between six and eighteen minutes. A male may repeat his song many times with a minimum of pause. An analysis of songs collected from Mexico, Maui Hawaii and Japan within the same season indicates virtually all North Pacific Humpbacks sing nearly the same song. As the season progresses, small changes occur in the song. When the Humpback whales return from Maui to the breeding grounds the following winter, they sing the version popular at the end of the previous breeding season.
Research
When a Humpback whale dives, it may lift its tail out of the beautiful Maui water, allowing whale watching observers to view a unique pigmentation pattern on its underside. Each Humpback whale can be individually identified by a photograph of this fluke. These fluke identification photos can be cataloged with information about the date and time of the sighting, pod composition, travel direction, and presence/absence of a calf. Viewing these Fluke dives is best done on a whale watching trip such as the one provided by the Kai Kanani which departs from the Maui Prince Hotel.
More than two thousand Humpback whales have been individually identified in Maui’s waters. As whales are re-identified on subsequent occasions, these sightings provide important insight into migratory routes, population estimates, social structure, behavior, longevity and reproductive rates. You can even submit your whale watching fluke photos for identification, ask your Kai Kanani Whale watching captain for more information.
Endangered Species Status
Prior to extensive commercial whaling, the Hawaiian Humpback whale stock may have numbered 15,000 animals. Commercial whaling reduced the population to fewer than 1,000 by 1966, prompting international protection. In the early 1970s, Humpbacks were afforded additional protection in U.S. waters by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. By 1993, the North Pacific stock was estimated to number 2,500 to 3,000 whales. Scientists believe that nearly two-thirds of the stock migrates to Maui Hawaii each winter to engage in reproductive activities. Although the North Pacific Humpback whale population has shown initial signs of recovery since 1966, they remain an endangered species.
As whale watching becomes more popular each year in Maui, Hawaii, increased care must be taken to avoid disturbing the whales. Federal and State laws protect Humpbacks from being harmed or harassed. It is illegal in Hawaii to approach a Humpback whale within less than 100 yards. The Kai Kanani which departs from Makena beach in front of the Maui Prince Hotel, does all it’s whale watching in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Although the Kai Kanani whale watching boat cannot approach the whales within 100 yards, the whales don’t know the rules and often approach the Kai Kanani while on a whale watching tour. Of course, our captains are extremely concientious and cut engines immediately when whales are sighted closer than 100 yards.
Hawaii is truly a unique place. The islands are like emerald specks in the center of a vast ocean of indigo blue, populated with rare plants, unique animals and warm people who always offer a friendly "aloha." We are lucky to visit the whales in their nursery, in such a beautiful setting. The steep volcanic terrain makes it easy for us to observe our enormous winter residents and their young. Because the Humpback whale calves are born here, they are truly a "child of the land", or "kamaaina." And thanks to the many whale watching tour boats like the Kai Kanani that share the whales' winter home, we are often lucky enough to have a fairly close encounter in the heart of the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is one of 12 National Marine Sanctuaries created under the U.S. Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act. The Sanctuary’s goal is to promote comprehensive and coordinated management, research, education and long-term monitoring for the endangered Humpback whale and its habitat.
|
