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HUMPBACK WHALE DERIVATION: from the Greek megas for large, pteron for wing or fin; from the Whale songs heard on recordings or movies are usually the beautiful, haunting sounds of the humpback whale (click here to hear an example). A humpback can sing its long, complicated songs and go back and start anew without any break, singing continuously. Other whales make sounds, but only the humpback "sings." Why the humpback sings is a mystery. Is it a mating device, whereby the male with the longest and most complex song (or "best" song) is the most attractive to females? And why do they change their songs? We can hypothesize that it is an oral history, a form of play, a group bonding device, or possibly a way to pass on new information or rehash old. We may never know. For sometime, it was believed that only males sang, but that has not been totally supported. One whale scientist has observed what appears to be a female singing. The female was accompanied by a calf which appeared to be nursing and the observer noted release of a puff of milk into the water. He did not see a male in the vicinity. Also unknown is how humpbacks make their sounds. They are the kind of sounds normally created in an air medium. But when a humpback sings, no air is released. Of all the large whale species, humpbacks are the most animated and acrobatic. They are slow swimmers, but they get up enough speed to leap clear of the water, executing spectacular breaches. Another feature of these amazing whales is their long pectoral flippers which are almost one third of their body length, the longest of any whale. Humpbacks will lie on the water's surface and raise one flipper into the air and slap it . These flippers can be seen on the ocean from miles away. The name humpback comes from the appearance of a hump on the whale's back when it flexes sharply before diving. Humpbacks frequently raise their flukes when beginning a long dive. This has enabled whale researchers to photograph and identify individual humpbacks from the color and marking of the underside of their flukes. Flukes are categorized much like a photo negative (how much white or black is exposed), the pattern it presents, and the scalloped edges. Physical Characteristics: Enemies: man, of course, has been the most ferocious of enemies, almost wiping
out the species. Humpback whales tend to congregate near coasts. Thus,
they were easily accessible to shore-based whalers and were severely depleted.
Even with complete protection since 1964, the humpback whales' recovery
has been almost nonexistent. Humpback Whales May 2007
The wayward humpback mother Delta and calf Dawn have presumably returned to the Pacific Ocean after they turned into the Sacramento River from San Francisco Bay. For two weeks beginning May 12, 2007, an international public followed their journey while veterinarians, marine biologists and scientists used all their tricks to get them turned around and headed in the right direction. Both whales had injuries caused by a boat and there were grave concerns that they could be re-injured in the busy river traffic, as they traveled 90 miles inland up the Sacramento River. No biologist can explain why the duo swam up the river which just underscores how little we really know about these magnificent whales. There is some speculation that the two might have been exploring new territory and were not really “lost.” Jim Darling, a biologist in British Columbia, has studied humpbacks near Hawaii since the mid-1970s. He believes that our understanding of any kind of whale behavior is very limited. Darling said that although people assumed the whales were lost, “… we don’t think we know whether they’re in there for some reason.” How humpback whales navigate, where they travel, what their body language means -- even how many members of this endangered species remain and how long they live -- are part of the mystery enshrouding the creatures, said Darling. Save The Whales’ marine biologist Tom Kieckhefer worked with the rescuers, as he had participated in a similar situation with the wayward humpback Humphrey who swam up the Sacramento River in 1985. After Humphrey returned to the Pacific, he was sighted in 1986, 1987 and 1989, but has not been seen since 1990. It is hypothesized that he suffered neurological damage (possibly from a boat) which caused his disorientation and irregular breathing habits. Kieckhefer states that it could have been a ship/boat strike that disoriented the mother and daughter, domoic acid (a toxic diatom bloom) that got the mother narced (or intoxicated) and led them astray, or an unknown reason. Some have speculated that Delta/Dawn and Humphrey went up into the river because of their wounds, perhaps in an effort to heal. The rescue team tried various methods of reorienting Delta and her daughter by playing underwater sounds of humpbacks feeding with sea lions, a killer whale attacking gray whales, and by banging metal pipes underwater. Fire hoses were sprayed about 300 yards in front of the whales in an effort to get them turned around.
Major concerns were that they would have a boat collision or swim up a small inlet where they could become trapped in the mud. Acoustical and herding techniques did not yield the hoped-for results. Concerns grew that the longer they stayed in fresh water, the worse their wounds would become. For two days, over Memorial Day weekend as the rescue team took a break, mother and daughter traveled the farthest, each time traveling about 25 miles in approximately six hours. They seem to prefer swimming against the current. The whales themselves made the ultimate decision to turn back to San Francisco Bay. A 500-yard safety zone around them was enforced by the Coast Guard. What Was Learned from Delta and Dawn Being able to observe the whales up close for several days gave researchers an unprecedented opportunity. "A number of firsts were made during this operation," said Dr. Frances Gulland, Director of Veterinary Science at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, head veterinarian for the rescue team. "This was the first time antibiotics have been administered to free swimming whales in the wild.” The antibiotics include enrofloxacin (trade name "Baytril"), donated by Bayer Animal Health Care, and ceftiofur trade name "Excede"), donated by Pfizer Animal Health. A whale-appropriate Baytril dosage was prepared by Grandpa's Compounding Pharmacy, Placerville, CA. The antibiotic injections were considered necessary because of the whales’ long exposure to fresh water and the fact that Delta’s skin condition was worsening. Dr. Gulland said, “The antibiotics will help the animals fight infections and enhance their recovery from the wounds they sustained from a vessel collision." The antibiotics were administered by a gun which fired a blank cartridge, which in turn propelled a 12 inch long, 3/4” metal syringe. Dawn was treated with one dose of 57 cc, about the equal of two shot glasses. Delta was given two injections in the morning and a third in the afternoon, which equaled approximately six shot glasses. Michael Moore, a scientist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, said the whales showed no obvious signs of stress or pain from the injections. The syringes were designed to pull out and drop away after a period of time, without harm to the whales. From DNA testing done through biopsy samples, it was learned that both whales are from the Eastern North Pacific stock of humpbacks (or California feeding population) and that the calf is a female. Dawn was nicknamed before her gender was definitely known. This humpback population numbers about 1,500 individuals, and they routinely travel waters off the Golden Gate. The mitochondrial DNA marker in the California feeding population is virtually absent from the British Columbia and South East Alaska feeding populations. Therefore the duo are not lost members of the British Columbia feeding herd. Humphrey was also part of the California feeding population. Jay Barlow, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) marine biologist, was driving the boat when the skin scrapings were taken. He said, "We're fortunate because the California-Oregon whales are different genetically from the British Columbia whales." He said further skin testing could help researchers understand how long whales can survive in fresh water. The scrapings were taken at several points during the whales’ travels throughout the Delta. “One of the main things to come out of this event might be the reaction of the animals’ skin to fresh water," Barlow said. "We did notice that pretty quickly after they hit some somewhat brackish water, near Benicia, their condition improved." Biologists said saltier water, where the duo circled for sometime, helped some of the health problems. Lesions appeared to be sloughing off, and a coating of algae that was adhering to the mother upriver was falling away. Barlow said it was likely that one of the duo will be spotted within five years because researchers keep a catalog of photos of whale flukes, or tails, that currently identifies 300 of the 1,500 whales in the group. Researchers took photos of Delta’s and Dawn's flukes that will clearly identify them to future whale spotters, he said. The whales were not tagged because a monitoring device that researchers had planned to use for implant malfunctioned. It was not possible to ascertain if Dawn was nursing. Because of the murky water, no underwater photographs could be taken. Dr. Gulland said she was flooded with well-meaning suggestions from a public that became very caught up in the whales’ welfare. The injuries Delta and Dawn received demonstrate the increasing dangers that marine mammals face from ocean-going vessels, in addition to ocean noise. For More Information on Delta & Dawn Talks Regarding Downlisting Humpbacks to Threatened from Endangered The Pacific humpback population is making a strong enough comeback that debate may begin within a year to lower its protection status under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) from "endangered" to "threatened." A study began in 2004 into humpback numbers involves 300 researchers. It will cover the Eastern Pacific from Alaskan and Russian waters, North America’s west coast as far south as Central America, and west to Hawaii and Japan. It is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008, and an increase is anticipated. Humpbacks were hunted to near extinction in the 20th Century, but the question is whether their increased numbers warrant less protection under the ESA. The research collected will be analyzed for a year before a final report is completed. After that NOAA, who administers the marine portion of the ESA, could recommend a change of status or a non-governmental group could petition for a change. These proceedings could take up to five years. Jay Barlow of NOAA believes that humpbacks are out of immediate risk of extinction, but thinks that there will be resistance if the downlisting efforts proceed. Experts believe that the Eastern humpback is making strong gains, but they disagree about how the population should be protected. A count of the Eastern humpback population 15 years ago estimated the population at 6,000 to 10,000 whales. This was only 2,000 more than when commercial whaling ceased in 1986. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) estimates the worldwide humpback population to be about 50,000. The number of humpbacks killed legally by aboriginal people from 1986-2006 is 42. Illegally-killed humpbacks have turned up in Japanese markets. DNA tests proved that the whale meat was from humpbacks. Downlisting, it is feared, could lead to more exploitation of the population. Maris Sidenstecker of Save The Whales was quoted in the San Jose Mercury News when asked about downlisting: “I would be really cautious about it,” she said. “It would be giving people false hope that the whales are making a tremendous comeback, which we don’t know is the case.” Many believe that no protection should be given up if they are vulnerable. In addition to boat collisions, like those suffered by Delta and Dawn, there are numerous other dangers: entanglement in fishing nets, loss of habitat, diminishing food sources and underwater detonations that can destroy their hearing. The saga of Delta and Dawn demonstrates how much the public appreciates the “singing” whales. Save The Whales received numerous inquiries about their status from around the world. |
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