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.