Humpback Whale
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Humpback Whale Behaviour

Humpback Whale Behaviour: bubble net fishing

One of the most fascinating aspects of Humpback Whale behaviour is their ability to work together as a team during bubble net fishing. During bubble net fishing, a group of Humpback whales blow large amounts of bubbles out of their mouths to form a barrier in the water near a school of fish. One or several Humpback whales will simultaneously emit sounds that drive the fish towards the bubble wall. Up to a dozen Humpback Whales can work together and coordinate their actions during bubble net fishing. When the fish has been driven towards the bubble wall, the next step is to turn the bubble wall into a circular net by swimming around the trapped fish in smaller and smaller circles, while continuing to emit bubbles. To begin with, the ring can be up to 30 meters (100 feet) in diameter. When the bubble net is tight enough, the Humpback whales will change direction and rapidly swim upwards through the bubble net with their large mouths wide open. This intricate Humpback Whale behaviour makes it possible for Humpback Whales to catch thousands of fish in one big gulp.

Humpback Whale behavior: whale song

Another mesmerizing Humpback Whale behavior is their whale song, or rather whale songs. The Humpback Whale emits intricate sounds by forcing air through its massive nasal cavities. The sounds are highly organized and forms separate sequences that are repeated over and over again. A typical Humpback Whale song will consists of a 0-15 minute long sequence that can be repeated for several hours.

We still understand very little about this elaborate Humpback Whale behavior. Initially, scientists suggested that the whale song was only sung during courting, but further research have indicated that attracting a mate may not have to be the primary purpose, even though the song seem to play some role in the mating process.  Today, most experts agree that singing serves a multitude of different purposes and that Humpback Whales are capable of producing several types of songs. We now know that Humpback Whales sing throughout the year; not only during the courting period. The feeding season will for instance bring an entirely different song which is used to drive fish into bubble nets created by groups of Humpback Whales.