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 Every year, the most acrobatic of all whales, the
Humpback, visits the Bay of Banderas in order to
reproduce and give birth. Its arrival begins around
mid to late October and extends to around end of
March. During that time, some female whales give
birth while others reproduce before returning to
their feeding grounds in the north.
It is believed that these animals date back to the Eocene era, some 60 - 65
millions years ago and belong to the family of early mammals known as the
Mesonychids. Mesonychids, it is also believed, were some of the first land
dwelling mammals. These ancestral creatures were furry, had four legs, a
tail, carried their fetuses until birth and nursed their young. Perhaps,
they eventually discovered food was more easily available in shallow waters
of the oceans, and through the long process of evolution, began adapting
to aquatic environments to finally leave land behind them for good. Many
links are still missing in this theory just as we are missing links in the
theory of our own human evolution.
 The Humpback whale is one of the most studied marine
mammal and yet, we still know very little. One important
trait of the Humpback whale is that each individual
has a unique color pattern on the underside of its
tail (more properly called a fluke), and which displays
designs in varying tones of white, grey and black.
This particular characteristic makes it possible
for us to identify each different individual by simply
taking a clear photo of the underside of its fluke.
This way, we can, over many years' time, know who
is where and doing what with whom. This also permits
us to count and estimate the number of individuals
of a certain population. A little nosy aren't we?
Well, let us be nosy because the more we know and
understand about these magnificent creatures, the
more apt we are at protecting them and assuring their
survival as a species.
A little bit of history
The earliest reports of whale sightings
in the Bay of Banderas, date back to 1858 and mention
the presence of mainly 2 species: the Humpback and
the Grey whale. As a matter of fact, the bay was
called Humpback Bay in the mid 1800's. Unfortunately,
these reports come from log books of American whaling
ships.
Many species of whales were hunted from the mid
1800's to mid 1900's. The humpback suffered great
losses due to his closeness to shores and his relatively
slow speed. At the time, a lot of commerce depended
on whale based products. It was hunted for meat,
oil which they used in street lamps and machinery
lubrication, and the baleens were used to make corsets
so the ladies could display a perfect hourglass figure.
In 1946, the International Whaling Commission was
created to regulate whaling, but some nations didn't
abide by the rules. Thankfully, a ban on all commercial
whaling took effect in 1966 due to the growing public
and scientific concern. It is estimated that the
original population was numbered at around 100,000
individuals. By the 1960's, it had plummeted to a
mere 6000 individuals. Today, the world's population
is estimated to be between 10,000 and 20,000. The
Humpback whale is still listed as endangered in the
IUCN Red Data Book.
Threats
 Whaling
by countries who ignore the ban.
Entanglement in fishing nets and ocean garbage.
Collision
with ships.
Pollution from runoff and coastal developments.
Competition
with commercial fisheries for food.
Noise pollution
from boats, sonars, blasts, underwater mining and drilling.
Whale
watching activities performed without regard to rules
and regulations.
In the bay of Banderas,
around 520 different individuals have been photo
identified and included in the FIBB catalog (Foto
Identificación Bahía
de Banderas). Some biologists, organizations, eco-tour
companies and their guides participate in the conservation
of this species by taking pictures of the underside
of Humpback whale flukes and send them to Astrid
Frisch Jórdan who coordinates this catalog.
Astrid Frisch Jórdan is a marine biologist,
guide and part owner of Ecotours de México.
Why is it called the Humpback?
 We can clearly see from the anatomy diagram of the
humpback whale that it doesn't really have a hump
on its back and even has a relatively small dorsal
fin, so why the name? Well, it actually comes from
its diving technique. Of all the marine mammals,
this is the one that can arch its back so much when
it dives down that it actually creates a hump. And
of course, hence came the name.
Acrobats of the sea
The humpback whale's behavior is most often playful
and the show they perform for us at times can be
quite spectacular. Let us examine some of the behaviors
that have made the Humpback whale so popular.
 Breaching: This involves the whale
diving straight down and then, turning around and
swimming at top speed (18mph / 26kmph), straight
up towards the surface. As the whale reaches the
surface, his body then shoots out of the water, sometimes
doing a half turn while extending his flippers outwards
and landing with a huge splash. You can imagine the
sound and visual impression a 30 to 50 ton whale
crashing in the water can create. It is believed
that this may occur because the whale is either playing,
trying to rid himself of parasites (such as sea lice
or barnacles), trying to communicate by displaying
his strenght, size and power or to attract the attention
of other whales.
 Fin slapping: This means the whale
is sideways, with its fin out of the water while
he repeatedly slaps at the water's surface, creating
splashes. Again, this may be for play, communication
or used in fights during courtship groups. In this
last case, males will hit one another with their
barnacle ladden fins, causing injuries that may even
occasionnally bleed.
 Tail slapping: This case is similar
to fin slapping where instead of the fin, the fluke
is the part that is slapping at the water, while
the whale's body is otherwise submerged. The reasons
are also similar to fin slapping except that sometimes,
it can also be a display of frustration or anger
as in the case of a whale being harrassed by boats
or trying to ward off potential male competitors
when a female in heat is close by.
 Spy-hopping: I
like to call this particular behavior "people watching";
as we do whale watching, they also watch us. For
this, they slowly come out of the water up to their
pectoral fins and have a look around by rotating
a little while the head is above water. After a little
while, they slowly go back down the way they came.
What is a barnacle? It's a ocean creature that lives
in a shell and attaches itself to the bodies of certain
marine mammals by suction (like a snail) such as
in the case of the Grey whales or the Humpback whales.
Their enchanting music
 Perhaps in the past, you have heard recordings of
enchanting underwater music. Maybe, you didn't know
that some of these songs are performed by sexually
mature male humpbacks and that these only occur in
the mating grounds. For this reason, it is believed
that males sing in order to impress and attract females
but this theory has not been proven as of yet.
Why do we call it a song and not communication? Well first, these melodies
are just that, melodies. They have verses and are structured just like our
music. They have a certain repetition pattern and if you listen carefully
and long enough, you can discern the similarities to our own musical compositions.
Second, every year, the same song is repeated with a slight variation; a
verse is changed, a new part is incorporated. Every 5 to 8 years, you end
up with an entirely new composition.
We know that whales do not sing in their feeding grounds or during the migration
south and that they do not travel in pods either. Therefore, some interesting
questions arise: How come all the whales from a same population sing the
same song, whether they are in Hawaii, Banderas' Bay or Revillagigedo Islands,
and how do they learn it? Perhaps we should reassess our definition of a
pod. Possibly, for the humpback, traveling in a pod may mean traveling kilometers
apart.
However, just like us humans, there are good singers
and well, some that are not so good. It appears that
maturity and experience has a lot to do with how
well and how long a whale can sing. Typically, a
male Humpback will sing for approximately 20 minutes,
surface for a few breaths and go back down to resume
his vocalization. This process can be repeated for
a very long time. The usual positioning of a singer
is to be motionless, head facing down towards the
bottom of the ocean - for better sound distribution
- with its fins slightly open to about 45 degrees.
Humpbacks can remain underwater without breathing
for a maximum of about 35 - 40 minutes and certain
whales can sing for up to 30 minutes.
Migration of the Humpback whale
Three different populations
of Humpbacks inhabit the world's waters. First,
we have the North Atlantic population, the North
Pacific population and then there's the South Pacific
/ Atlantic population. The one that we will specifically
discuss in this newsletter is the North Pacific
population. This is the one that migrates here
to Banderas' Bay. The migration cycle takes about
a year. The Humpback will typically spend 3 to
4 months at their feeding grounds. These feeding
grounds extends from the west coast of California,
Canada up to the Golf of Alaska and the Bering
sea. They principally feed on krill, plankton,
shrimp, sardines and seem to love herring for its
high content of fat. During that time, they will
eat astonishing amounts of food every day in order
to build up their layer of blubber (fat) that will
protect them from the cold waters and prepare them
for the migration south where food is almost non-existent.
From there, they will travel more than 10,000 kilometers
south to their breeding grounds. This trip can
take between 2 to 3 months.
The North Pacific population will choose to migrate to one of 3 general areas
in which they will either give birth, reproduce on just tag along for the
ride as may be the case for those whales that have not yet reached sexual
maturity. The reason for this long migration is the need for more temperate
waters, as the newborn calves are born with a very thin layer of blubber
and hence, could not support the cold waters of the North. The 3 most popular
breeding areas are: Bay of Banderas, Islas Revillagigedo and Hawaii. Humpbacks
may also visit the waters of the Sea of Cortez, off the east coast of the
Baja California Peninsula, but this is known as a transitional place. They
will spend an average of 3 to 4 months in these grounds. In Banderas' Bay,
the average stay for one particular whale is around 11 days but of course,
mothers and their newborn calves will remain longer. As these animals constantly
travel, they usually come and go in and out of the bay area, so one particular
whale can be seen over and over at different intervals during the reproduction
season. Then, they return to the north to feed again in preparation for next
years migration. And so, the cycle repeats.
Loving and caring mothers
 Calves are born tail first, measure an average of
16 feet (5 mts.) and weight around 3 tons (1,400
kgs.). Newborns tend to sink and have a little bit
of difficulty swimming at first. The mother tends
to support it with her back and push him up to the
surface regularly for him to breathe. Mind you, being
aquatic animals, it doesn't take him long to acquire
the necessary coordination that enables him to swim
on his own.
He also soon discovers that his mother's huge tail
creates a kind of counter current which follows her
and so, he learns to place himself in that area in
order to hitch a ride. This allows him to keep pace
with the adults during the migration which is a dangerous
time for newborns.
 The relationship between mother and calf is a tight
one. They remain close to each other throughout the
first year. He will get nourishment by nudging the
lower ventral part of his mother's body which will
then release a very rich and thick milk similar in
consistency to cottage cheese. A baby Humpback whale
drinks 75 gallons (284 liters) of milk a day, the
equivalent to that which is consumed by a human baby
in one year! He will double in size and weight in
the first year alone. Mothers are very loving and
caring with their offsprings. Their huge pectoral
fins, used as tactile organs, play an important role
in the mother / calf relationship. Females give birth
to only one baby at a time and take care of their
young for a full year. Since gestation is also almost
a year (11 - 11.5 months), they generally give birth
every 2 to 3 years.
 Courtship groups in Bay of Banderas
One of the most spectacular behavior is that of
courtship. This only occurs in their mating grounds
and since the Bay of Banderas is one of their elected
areas for reproduction, we have the precious opportunity
to be able to study this particular behavior further,
right here at home.
This aggressive battle for a single female is most impressive. It may involve
2 or up to 18 or more whales ferociously fighting for that one female heading
the group. Often, one male has already been able to position himself next
to the female. Being next to the female is where they want to be, so all
the other whales are trying to move up to the front to dislodge their competitor.
This is done by pushing and shoving, hitting eachother with their barnacle
ladden fins and tails. They may also do what we call a head slap which means
one whale will elevate his head slightly above the water to then forcefully
shove it back down over the back of another whale. Since their chins are
also usually full of sharp barnacles, they can cut eachother pretty badly
at times. Some smaller or weaker whales will leave the group quite early
in this battle while other may arrive later, fresh and strong and begin to
fight their way up. The idea is that only the strongest male will remain
til the end and will get the chance to reproduce with the female. This battle
may last less than one hour or may go on for hours.
One way of knowing if you are witnessing
a courtship group is to count the
whales that are all in one group, to watch their
swimming pattern and estimate their speed. During
a courtship battle, the female that leads will swim
much faster than usual and change direction quite
often. They will also remain closer to the surface
and breathe more often as they are exerting alot
of energy during this time and have a greater need
for oxygen. The surface waters may appear to be boiling;
this occurs because of the activity below, the splashing
caused by the tails and fins and the air that is
occasionnally released by males. Nasty scars are
the result of repeated participation in such groups.
This is why some have the misguided tendency of saying
that a whale with many scars on his back is a male.
But let it be known that scientifically, only a female
accompanied by her calf or a singing whale can be
positively identified for sex, unless you are dealing
with a very well known whale, one who has been studied
over many years time and has since been identified
as male or female.
Feeding techniques
[
The Humpback whale uses
different techniques in order to feed. They are
considered " gulpers" as
all rorquals are. This, because of their numerous
throat grooves that expand when taking huge gulps
of food ladden water. With their tongues, they then
push the water out and only the food remains.
Four different styles of feeding have been observed:
Assailing:
This involves approaching the food from the bottom or the side while the mouth
is wide open.
Corraling:
In this case, they use their long pectoral fins
to herd all the food in front of them. Slashing:
In making use of their tails, a powerful slash brings the food to the front
of the whale.
Bubble netting:
This is the most impressive
of all techniques and leaves one to ponder on the level
of intelligence and social structure of these incredible
whales.
This technique may involve one single individual
or up to 16 whales. While under the water, they form
a circle and swim one behing the other while releasing
air creating a wall of bubbles that trap food in
the center as efficiently as a fisherman's net. The
leader then emits a high piercing sound. This stuns
the fish and forces them to gather in an even smaller
bunch at the center. This is also a signal to all
the other whales that it's time to surface, all at
the same time, from the bottom up to gulp all the
food collected through this technique. Amazing!
And if this isn't incredible enough, it has been
shown, through many years of study, that each time
a particular bubble net is formed, it includes the
same individuals and they position themselves at
their same designated positions. Somewhat like us
at the diner table, we all have our own seats and
so do they! Things that make you go Hmmmmmm....
Please help us save this awesome animal
from extinction
The whale watching industry has now replaced whaling. In many areas it plays
a crucial role for the local economy. This should be a good thing, but one
needs to be very careful when choosing their whale watching tour provider.
Whale watching, if improperly conducted, can also be detrimental to the survival
of the whales.
 have seen whales with nasty lacerations from boat
propellers; some don't survive the injuries. I have
seen a baby whale crazily leaping repeatedly out
of the water in a desperate attempt to tell his mother
that he couldn't keep up as she was swimming too
fast while trying to evade too many boats that were
well inside the legal distance for whale watching.
The spectators of these boats were all applauding
as if this was the greatest show they had ever seen,
completely oblivious to the reality of the fear they
were instilling on these beautiful creatures.
This doesn't have to happen. If you care about the
survival of these wonderful creatures, here are a
few questions you can ask the company you plan on
calling on. This will help you evaluate the level
of professionalism and integrity of the company in
regards to conservation of this species.
* Do they have the proper accreditation and permits for the activity in question
from the Secretary of Tourism.
* Do they provide experienced or trained guides
that are aware of the regulations and abide by them.
Because the accredited companies incur a cost related
to their permits, they will usually charge more than
those that don't.
Griffin
griffin_page@yahoo.com
* Griffin is a Naturalist & Ecotur
Guide in Puerto vallarta and The Banderas Bay.
To contact Griffin and/or to learn more about her
job please click
here or visit: Ecotours
de Mexico
Note: The only boats
who do own the permits are: Prince of Whales & Nautica
(Open Air Expeditions), Bloodhound, Eco Tours de
Mexico, Vallarta Adventures, Aleta, Searcher II ,
Searcher I, Aqua Guy, Mayan Dream, Tangaroa, La Gaviota
2ª, Vallarta Sol, Luna de Miel, Catalina III & Adelita.
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