The Return of the Humpback Whales
The whales are on their way!
Humpback Whales (what Native Hawaiians call Koholā and what scientists refer to as megaptera novaeangliae) have begun to say goodbye to their nutrient-rich Alaska summering grounds and are swimming for the warmer waters of Maui. Incelebration of you, us, and the whales getting together again, here are some fun facts about what life looks like for our Humpback Whales when they travel far from home.
Humpback Whales Rack Up Lots of Frequent Swimmer Miles
3,000 mile one-way trip, or 6,000 miles both ways, of all the world’s Humpback Whale populations our Pacific Humpback Whales have one of the longest migrations. The journey takes anywhere from over a month to three months to complete. Yes it’s a long journey, but everyone must take it, including newly born calves. But calves travel first class, feasting the whole way and they get lots of nourishment on the trip, guzzling up to 100 gallons of milk a day.
Singing Takes Time
Did you know that migrating whales sing a different song than the song they sing in Maui? Some whales sing consistently throughout their migration. Where the general swimming speed during the migration is about the same as a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood at 2.5 mph (4 km/h), whales that sing throughout the migration travel noticeably slower than their non-singing friends. And in case you’ve wondered how fast Humpback Whales can swim, the fastest recorded speed was almost 10 mph (15.6 km/h), which is pretty fast if you happen to be 50 feet long and weigh 48 tons.
Singing an Alaska Song
Humpback Whales are famous for their incredible songs, which may last up to twenty minutes. During whale season on Maui our guests often enjoy listening to these beautiful songs while on snorkel adventures. We know the song changes during the migration, and when they make it to Alaska the song changes again. That’s because when they are in Alaska humpback whales sing feeding songs that help coordinate the hunt. In Hawaii the songs are about aloha, love and mating.
Diving Deep and Bubble Feeding
Humpback Whales have enormous lungs, which help them dive for up to 20 minutes at a time and forage for food to depths of 500 feet. One unique way our population of whales feeds is bubble feeding. Whales trap prey and force them to the surface by blowing giant columns of bubbles. This method can secure a group of hunting whales thousands of pounds of fresh food in one rise. A single whale can down up to 3,000 pounds of fresh seafood in a day.
Mark your Calendar – Whale Watching Season is December through March
As the whales return we look forward to seeing you, our returning friends and family, who travel from all over the world to enjoy Maui and experience whales in paradise.