Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Weight: Average:
30,000-48,000kg.
Habitat: It
is a relatively eurythermic animal, occupying
cold-temperate to tropical waters. It is basically oceanic but enters
shallow tropical waters for the winter breeding season.
Age to Maturity: 4-6 years.
Gestation Period: 11-11.5 months.
Birth Season: Calving occurs primarily in the winter (October - March in
the Northern Hemisphere and April - September in the Southern Hemisphere).
Birth Rate: 1 young every 2-3 years.
Maximum Age: 77 years.
Diet: Those
in the Southern Ocean feed mainly on the Antarctic krill. In the Northern
Hemisphere diet consists of planktonic
crustaceans and small schooling fish such as herring, capelin, pink salmon,
Arctic cod etc.
Threats: Populations
were considerably reduced by whaling.
