Protecting the Humpback Whale

Protecting the Humpback Whale

The waters around the Hawaiian Islands are one of the North Pacific humpback whales' most significant habitats: the only place in the United States coastal waters where humpbacks are known to reproduce and give birth to their young.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary www.hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov was established in 1997 to protect humpback whales and their habitat and to educate the public about whales and the Hawaii marine environment. The 1,400-square-mi sanctuary includes five protected areas around the main Hawaiian Islands.

Did you know?

Humpback whales are the fifth largest of the world's great whales; a mature whale can be up to 45 feet long and weigh about 42-45 tons.

Their top jaw has fleshy knobs called tubercles. Each tubercle has a strand of hair and many nerve endings believed to serve some sensory function.

Their throats have expandable pleats, allowing the animal to ingest over 500 gallons of prey and water in a single gulp. They primarily eat zooplankton and small fish.

Their tongues can weigh up to one ton.

The calves have a 10- to 12-month gestation period. On average, newborns weigh 1.5 tons and are 10-16 feet long.

Calves nurse on the mother's rich milk for six to eight months and grow fast, nearly doubling their length by the end of the first year.

Humpback whales live about 40 to 60 years.