Wildlife: A Humpback Whale swims with her calf in the Pacific Ocean of Guatemala

A Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae swims with her calf, 10 nautical miles off the Port of San José, Escuintla, Guatemala. The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16m 39–52ft and weigh around 25–30 metric tons. The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobb head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours at a time. All the males in a group will produce the same song which is different each season. Its purpose is not clear, though it may have a role in mating. Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typical migrate up to 16,000 miles each year. They feed in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed and give birth, fasting and living off their fat reserves. Their diet consists most of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net technique. Like other large whales, the humpback was a target for the whng industry. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a 1966 moratorium. While stocks have partial recovered to some 80,000 animals worldwide, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships and noise pollution continue to affect the species.

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