This entry was posted on Monday, January 12th, 2009 at 11:23 pm and is filed under About, Adventure Cruises, History, Information, Migration, Sites, Snorkeling, Snuba, Watching, Whales. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Photo Courtesy K. Velasquez
How cute! This curious new baby humpback cruised over to do some people watching! The only way something like this will happen is if mom allows her little one to approach vessels. The moms control everything their little ones are allowed to do. After carousing in the breeding grounds, the females will mate as frequently as they choose. Once they may feel they’ve been successful, the animals head out of Hawaiian waters and go ‘polar north’. According to researchers, this would take them to SE Alaska. Once there, they will follow the food, which may consist of capelin, herring, salmon, sardines, sand lance, and krill. Fattened up, the mothers-to-be will return to Hawaiian waters to give birth to calves that are approximately 1/3 of mom’s length. This could mean that small moms have little babies, i.e. 10-15 feet in length and 1-1.5 tons. A very large mother, say 55-60 feet in length would produce a baby up to 20 feet in length and 2 tons at birth!
The feeding of such a large baby can take quite a toll on mom. Depending on their size, according to research, these ‘little’ ones can need from 100 to 135 gallons of mom’s 50% fat milk every day. On this rich and thick (consistency of yogurt) diet, junior will gain approximately 100 pounds daily and grow one foot per month!
Another amazing tidbit is that some moms choose to mate again while lactating. This would mean she has little time to take her new calf back up north so both can feast. She will go after the fish for their oily content so she can build up the blubber, and little one will eat krill while learning how to use bubble nets and other skills used by these magnificent animals. Mom will never leave her calf, even though she may be pregnant again. Calves will leave mom when they are ready, and this usually happens before or by the first year. Although yearlings are seen in Hawaii, not all yearlings will follow moms down to the subtropics.
Watching moms teach their little ones different behaviors is a real treat for any whale watcher, whether it’s the first time, or a seasoned whale lover. Visiting Hawaii in January, February, or March? Whale watching is a MUST for any visitors. This is the only place in the 50 states that boasts breeding grounds for this endangered marine mammal. Calves are born every day and the males continue their fighting for the right to mate. Grab your cameras, let’s go!
