1. Species of the Day The Humpbacked Whale Megaptera novaeangliae The Humpbacked Whale Megaptera novaeangliae

2. Ecology  Females - 16 meters long, males - 15 meters long.  Usually found alone or in groups of 2-3. May congregate in groups of 12- 15 when feeding.  12 month gestation period.  Not fast swimmers (6-12 km/hour) but can breach when they want to.  Dive for up to 20 minutes.

3. Feeding and Diet  Feed on krill and small schooling fish  Mackerel  Eel elvers  Bubble net feeding  Will circle a school from below releasing bubbles as they slowly rise. Fish trapped in the bubbles.  Done alone or in small groups  Feed on krill and small schooling fish  Mackerel  Eel elvers  Bubble net feeding  Will circle a school from below releasing bubbles as they slowly rise. Fish trapped in the bubbles.  Done alone or in small groups

4. Endangered Status  In southern oceans 100,000 in the 1900s - only 2500 today.  In northern Pacific ocean 15,000 in 1900s - only 1000 today.  2000 in western North Atlantic  Still taken by whalers from Greenland.  In southern oceans 100,000 in the 1900s - only 2500 today.  In northern Pacific ocean 15,000 in 1900s - only 1000 today.  2000 in western North Atlantic  Still taken by whalers from Greenland.

5. Bibliography  Leatherwood, Stephen & Randall R. Reeves. 1983. The Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolphins. Sierra Club books, San Francisco.  http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl  http://www.exzooberance.com/virtual%20zoo /they%20swim/humpback%20whale/Humpba ck%20Whale%20485076.jpg http://www.exzooberance.com/virtual%20zoo /they%20swim/humpback%20whale/Humpba ck%20Whale%20485076.jpg  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm ons/thumb/6/61/Humpback_Whale_underwat er_shot.jpg/270px- Humpback_Whale_underwater_shot.jpg  Leatherwood, Stephen & Randall R. Reeves. 1983. The Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolphins. Sierra Club books, San Francisco.  http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl  http://www.exzooberance.com/virtual%20zoo /they%20swim/humpback%20whale/Humpba ck%20Whale%20485076.jpg http://www.exzooberance.com/virtual%20zoo /they%20swim/humpback%20whale/Humpba ck%20Whale%20485076.jpg  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm ons/thumb/6/61/Humpback_Whale_underwat er_shot.jpg/270px- Humpback_Whale_underwater_shot.jpg