Humpback Whales

Humpback whales migrate more than 5000 km from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to the Kingdom of Tonga to give birth, nurse, court and mate. 

The humpback whale season in Tonga

• Pregnant mothers arrive first in mid-July to give birth in warm, shallow water, which is easier and safer for newborn babies as it’s free from the main predators of baby whales, orcas and big sharks. Sometimes the mothers are accompanied by male escorts who are hoping to mate with her that season or the next.

Humpback Whale Facts & Figures

• Length from 40–52 ft (12–16 metres). Weight approximately 40 tons, females slightly heavier than males.

• Distinguished by: unique body shape, the bump in front of their small dorsal fin for which they are named, unusually long pectoral (side) fins, knobbly head and spectacular surface behavior, including dramatic breaching and competitive groups.      

• Pattern on the fluke (underside of their tails) enables us to tell individuals apart.
• Life expectancy is estimated at least 40 to 50 years. Humpback whales are believed to mature between 5-10 years when they reach around 12m (40’) in length.
• Newborns (around 15 feet long!) are nursed by their mothers for one year, consuming up to 100 gallons (370 L) of chunky 50% fat milk per day.
• Dives last 10-15 mins, max 45 mins. Calves must surface to breathe every 1-5 mins.  
• Blow: bushy, heart-shaped blast of mist about 15 ft (5 m) high is the result of air and water vapor launched at 900 mph (1400 kph). 
• Dramatic and exciting is the breach during which the whale launches its entire body out of the water with just 2 to 3 flicks of the tail, making this muscle the strongest in the animal kingdom.  

Senior Couples Whale Watching 2018

Busby, Thomson, Murdoch, Palmer

We are so happy we got to go whale watching a second time...and with many new couples. Only us and the Busbys were on our second whale watching trip.

Last year we did not see any whales breach; this year we saw many - Oh, how thrilling! Some whales even swam right up to the boat and passed in front of us, as well as some swam under the boat. These animals are HUGE!

    

Every time we saw a breech, we shouted with amazement. It is amazing how these huge animals can lift themselves out of the water. We loved every splash we saw.



We watched the whales swim close by our boat, amazed at their size. When they dove, we again shouted and oohed and aahed. Everyone loves seeing a good whale tail.


We tried to guess where the whale would resurface. Sometimes we were right. Other times they came up on the other side of the boat or way far away.

Whales were swimming alone at times, and other times we found 2 or 3 together. Sometimes with a baby, other times probably with a mate, as the whales come to the warm waters to mate and bear offspring.

We were able to hear the whales singing. On the internet, I found that that the males sing in order to attract a female to mate with.

These pictures are a combination of pictures taken by Elder Thomson and Elder Busby, except of course, the one on the top was not either of them, but from the internet. Thank you Elder Busby for sharing your best pictures.

"And God created the whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly ... And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas."                    Genesis 1:21-23 s 1:1:21-2320–23.