Unlike other marine newborns that are left to fend for themselves right after birth, baby humpback whales(Megaptera novaeangliae)—called ‘calves’ (singular: 'calf’)—receive a great deal of parental care and attention.
Humpback whale breeding and calving season coincide. So, while the other adult whales are doing their thing in the deeper parts of the ocean, mother humpbacks responsibly guide their calves to shallower and calmer waters, away from all the…fornicating.
Shallower waters offer the young whale protection from predators (like sharks and killer whales), minimize energy expenditure, prevent disturbance from other humpbacks, and make it easier for mother to keep watch.
Moving to the shallows also keeps momma away from all those horny male whales, who can be pretty damn persistent during the breeding season.
Humpback whales use a special hunting technique known as bubble net feeding. Whales, either individually or in a group, swim in a shrinking circle, blowing bubbles below a school of prey. The shrinking ring of bubbles encircles the school and confines it in an ever-smaller cylinder. The fish trapped in the middle of the bubble net are then eaten in one go as whales rise from below with an open mouth.
A playful Humpback whale breaches and kicks water at all of the tourists today on the Brier Island Whale Watching and Seabird Tour in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia.
I PAINTED SOME WHALES!! I was honored to create a window mural for the New England Aquarium to celebrate the release of Humpback Whales 3-D. Click on the link above for the full article!
I wanted to contribute one more piece to MerMay this year before the month is over. I may do some sketches and a few more pieces, but it’s a big MAYBE right now.
Anyway, I wanted to do something cute for this, so I kidnapped @freckleocalypse’s Abel (for the hundredth time) and thought about making a ‘meeting of the babes’, meaning adopted son meets 2-week-old baby from the Humpback pod Daemon’s been traveling with. :)
And yes, I see most whale merfolk as being the giants among merfolk. I thought this would be a good example to show size differences.
Diving with a humpback whale and her newborn calf while they cruise around Roca Partida in the Revillagigedo [Islands], Mexico. This is an outstanding and unique place full of pelagic life, so we need to accelerate the incorporation of the islands into UNESCO as a natural heritage site in order to increase the protection of the islands against the prevailing illegal fishing corporations and big-game fishing.
