Humpback Whales

About Humpback Whale: 

• The humpback whale gets its common name from the distinctive hump on its back. Its long pectoral fins inspired its scientific name, Megaptera, which means “big-winged” 
• Appearance:
  • Humpback females are larger than males.
  • They are mainly black or grey with white undersides to their flukes, flippers, and bellies.
  • They also have large knobs on the head, jaws, and body, each knob being associated with one or two hairs. 
• Distribution: These whales live in all oceans around the world. They travel great distances every year and have one of the longest migrations of any mammal on the planet. 
• They undertake long migrations between polar feeding grounds in summer and tropical or subtropical breeding grounds in winter. 
• Humpbacks use a unique method of feeding called bubble netting, in which bubbles are exhaled as the whale swims in a spiral below a patch of water dense with food.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • CITES: Appendix I

Q1: What is Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)?

It is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. CITES was adopted in 1973 and entered into force in 1975. 

News: Humpback whale swims over 13,000 km setting a new record in quest for a mate. Details inside