Humpbacks just keep coming!
By Lloyd Edwards

1. News

Since my last post which had 30k hits n Facebook, I have been inundated with people who are sharing the joy of this remarkable recovery of a population from the brink of extinction. The number of cow calf pairs coming past Algoa Bay are showing no signs of easing off yet. I wish the same could be said for our African Penguin population who seem to be on a continuous downward spiral.

Did you know that after the internet, Humpback whales have the largest communication system on the planet? They are found in all oceans and stretch from the Arctic, through the Equator and to the Antarctic. They have been recorded migrating 19 000km to their breeding grounds!

All baleen whales and especially Humpbacks, use acoustic communications in many social contexts. Good examples are during cooperative hunting, identification between individuals, warning each other of lurking predators and during mating. Our cow calf pairs are particular vocal with each other. They are produced at a lower rate and amplitude so as to minimise the risk of alerting a predator like a killer whale.

The songs sung by male Humpback whales are well known, but besides these there are at least another 30 types of vocalisations that have been recorded. The male’s vocalisations are well organised in a repeated manner in long bouts and are thus classified as a song. These songs can last for hours or even days and they change continually which is very unusual for an animal that sings. Like us they also breathe during pauses in the songs.

During 1967 when 70 000 whales a year were being slaughtered, a US Navy engineer made a startling discovery. While listening for Russian submarines he heard some strange sounds which he concluded were Humpback whales as he noticed their presence while recording the sounds. These were passed on to a biologist who was told to “Go and save the Whales”.

During the UN Conference on the Human Environment in 1972 these songs were played to the assembly and ultimately led to the protection of whales. Now we are seeing the results of this ban and certainly the Humpback population has bounced back!

A Humpback whale breaches off the Alexandria Dunefields in Algoa Bay. What an amazing backdrop! Taken with a Nikon D810, ISO 500, 200mm zoom, f/10 and 1/1600th second.

An adult humpback whale slaps it's tail flukes on the surface. This is one method of communication.

An adult Humpback whale lifts it's tail clear of the water to assist in diving with less effort required for a deep dive. The stunning Alexandria Dunefields and the Coastal Forest are in the background.

This adult tail slapped quite a few times in succession. It makes photography so much easier when the activity is repeated!