Order: Cetacea.

Family: Balaenopteridae.

Size: Length- male 38 to 50 ft (11.5-15 m). Male generally slightly smaller than female.

Weight: About 30 tonnes; occasionally up to 48 tonnes.

Key Features: Large, stocky baleen whale; upper body black or blue-black, underside white; long flippers; head and front edge of flippers have raised lumps called tubercles; tail flukes different in every individual; number of throat grooves 14 t 35; dorsa fin small and triangular or larger and sickle-shaped.

Voice: Complex underwater songs consisting of grunts, groans, rasps, twitters and moos.

Breeding: One calf produced every 2 yrs after gestation period of 11 to 12 months. Weaned at 11 months; sexually mature at 4 to 6 yrs. May live 40 to 50 yrs, occasionally over 70.

Diet: Seasonal feeders on krill and small fish.

Habitat: Found in coastal and oceanic waters performing long migrations each year.

Habits: More social than other rorqual whales, rarely seen alone; congregates in large groups to feed and breed; moves individually or in small parties of 2 to 3 within groups; a breaching humpback whale launches itself gracefully into the air and executes a half-twist so that it lands on its back.

Conservation Status: Species listed as ‘Least Concerned’ globally on IUCN red list with population around 30000.

Distribution in Gujarat: Humpback Whale is one of the 13 marine mammal species reported by ZSI along the Gujarat coast. Still not much has been recorded in past few decades until recently when in 2005 a Humpback Whale was identified off the coast of Jakhau and more recently in 2009 an accidently trapped Humpback Whale on Dwarka Coast was released back.

 

 

 

 

 

References:

• “Humpbacks sighted in Gujarat”, Wildlife Trust of India- News. 

• “The Whale Sharks has its day in Dwarka”, Wildlife Trust of India- News. 

• Marine Mammals Facts Courtesy: Animal Fact Files- Mammals. The Brown Reference Group Plc.