Physical Features:
* Hump: Their name comes from the pronounced hump on their back just before the dorsal fin. This feature is actually a bulge of muscle and blubber that helps them with maneuvering and diving.
* Long, flippers: Their pectoral flippers are incredibly long, reaching up to one-third of their body length. These flippers are powerful and flexible, allowing them to make sharp turns and even "fly" out of the water.
* Baleen plates: Unlike toothed whales, humpbacks have baleen plates in their mouths instead of teeth. These plates are made of keratin (the same substance that makes up human fingernails) and act like a sieve, filtering out krill and other small organisms from the water.
* Tubercles: Their flippers and tails are covered in knobby bumps called tubercles. These tubercles are believed to help with maneuverability and reduce drag in the water.
Behavioral Features:
* Singing: Humpback whales are known for their complex and beautiful songs, which can last for hours. These songs are thought to be used for communication, attracting mates, and possibly even navigation.
* Breaching: Humpbacks are famous for breaching, leaping completely out of the water. This behavior is believed to be a form of communication, a way to attract mates, or simply a way to have fun.
* Bubble net feeding: Humpbacks have developed a unique hunting technique called bubble net feeding. They blow a ring of bubbles around a school of fish, trapping them in a tight circle before engulfing them in their mouths.
* Social behavior: Humpbacks are social animals, often traveling in groups called pods. They cooperate in hunting and caring for their young.
Other Notable Features:
* Long migrations: Humpbacks undertake long migrations across vast distances, often traveling from their breeding grounds in tropical waters to their feeding grounds in colder waters.
* Resilience: Humpbacks were once hunted to near extinction, but their populations have recovered thanks to conservation efforts.
These special features highlight the incredible adaptations that allow humpback whales to thrive in a variety of environments and contribute to their fascinating life history.