Dear readers,

Whalecome at the introduction of the whales of Skjálfandi bay part 5. After the blue whale and the porpoise, the minke whale and the white-beaked dolphin lets introduce the humpback whale, the most commonly seen whale in Skjálfandi bay!

Latin name: Megaptera novaengliae   
Common name: humpback whale         
Icelandic name: Humpback    
Average life span: 50 years       
Diet: krill and small schooling fish           
Size: 13 – 17 meters      
Weight: 25-45 tonnes

Humpback whales are one of the largest whales, with males reaching lengths of 14 meters and females reaching lengths of 17 meters, about the size of a school bus. The pectoral flippers are a third of their body length and can reach a length of 6 meters. Humpback whales are active swimmers and can be seen breaching, tail slapping and flipper slapping. It is theorized that the breaching and tail/flipper slapping is a way of communicating with each other, but may also be used to show dominance and health during the mating season. Humpback whales also use vocalization to communicate with each other, males are known to sing during the mating season. A song can last up to 30 minutes and can be heard from over 30km away.

The year of the humpback whale is split up in 2 sections feeding and breeding. During the summer humpback whales can be found in colder nutrient rich waters like Iceland, Norway and Canada, where they feed on krill. During the winter the humpback whales can be found in warmer waters around the equator like the Caribbean. Here the humpbacks mate and give birth. The gestation period of humpback whales is 11 months. When a calf is born its 4,5 meters in size and weighs 900kg. Calves can drink up to 600L of milk per day. Mother and calf communicate with each other through whispering, this is so that they cannot be overheard by predators such as orca's (killer whale).         
Humpback whales are baleen whales and thus use filter feeding to feed. Humpback whales are known to use several techniques to feed, one of these techniques is bubble net feeding. With bubble net feeding a humpback whale blows air from the blow hole trapping the fish and krill to the surface and then feeds on the fish and krill. Humpback whales dive on average around 5 to 10 minutes, but up to 40 minutes have been recorded. When humpback whales are traveling they swim between 5-15 km/h, when feeding they slow to a 2-5,5 km/h, the max speed they can reach is 25km/h.

Humpback whales can be seen in Skjálfandi Bay for a great majority of the year, although their prime season is in the summer months.  

Then it's time for the last post about the most common species of whales in Skjálfandaflói. Now we will talk about the humpback whale, which is the type of whale most often seen on excursions in the bay.

Latin name: Megaptera novaengliae              
English name: humpback whale   
Icelandic name: Humpback        
Average age: 50 year          
Food choices: Light eaters and small fish 
Size: 13 – 17 meters  
Weight: 25-45 tons

Humpback whales are one of the largest whale species, with males reaching 14 meters in length and females up to 17 meters in length – about the size of an average bus! The backs are about a third of the length of the animals and can be up to 6 meters. Humpback whales have a high need for movement and can regularly be seen jumping out of the sea or hitting spurs and fins. There are theories that this behavior is their way of communicating with each other, but it could also be a way of showing social superiority and good health during leisure time. Humpback whales also use vocal calls to communicate with each other. The males sing at the same time and each "song" can be up to half an hour long and can be heard up to 30 km away.

The year is bifurcated for humpback whales. On the one hand for food gathering and on the other hand for free time. In the summer, humpback whales can be found in cold and nutritious seas, tame off the coasts of Iceland, Norway and Canada where they eat light food. In winter, they migrate to the warmer regions of the New Equator, tame in the Caribbean Sea. Humpback whales mate and have offspring in warm seas. The gestation period is 11 months. When the calves come into the world, they are about 4,5 meters long and weigh 900 kg. They can drink up to 600 liters of milk a day. Mother and offspring communicate by "whispering" to ward off predators such as killer whales.  

Humpback whales are ski whales and use filter feeding for food intake. They are known to have several methods of food intake. One of them is the so-called bubble method. It works in such a way that the humpback blows air from the blow hole so that the prey moves to the surface of the sea. Then they attack and swallow the food.

Humpback whales dive on average for 5-10 minutes at a time, but can dive for up to 40 minutes. The swimming speed is about 5-15 km/h, but when they are eating, they slow down to 2,5-5 km/h. However, their maximum speed is about 25 km/h.

Humpback whales are, as already mentioned, a very common sight in Skjálfandaflói, and their presence has increased in recent years. Their main season is certainly in the summer, but it should be possible to see humpback whales most days from May to November.