4 Meet eo a by Nathalie Ward. Here is an introduction to some of the whales you might see in the Caribbean. Humpback Whale From a distance, a group of humpbacks swimming in single file appears to be the rippling coils of a gigantic sea serpent as they arch and submerge simultaneously. Perhaps the most familiar of the great whales, the humpback whale gets its common name from the hump on the forward part of the dorsal fin and from the way the back flexes, or “humps”, before a deep dive. Its long white flippers make it virtually unmis- takable at close range and also give this whale its scientific name, Megaptera novae- angliae, which translates to “big wing of New England”. Humpbacks tend to favor shallow areas, often quite close to shore. They are among the most sociable of the great whales and the most active at the surface, which makes them among the easiest to observe. As a result, we know more about this species than any other large whale. Humpback whales have been recorded at nearly all islands in the Eastern Caribbean. The largest breeding concentrations occur in the waters of the Dominican Republic on Silver and Navidad Banks and Samana Bay. Additional wintering popu- ations are found on Virgin Bank, Mouchoir Bank, and in the Mona Passage, Puerto Rico, with smaller concentrations reported throughout the Lesser Antilles including Antigua, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago and along the Venezuela coast. They are not exactly gentle giants. Loud “wamps” and “whumps” are typical sounds as one male humpback collides with another on the breeding grounds. Dorsal fins and snouts are bloodied as the barnacles that grow on humpbacks turn a low-level shove into a serious scrape. Males are aggressive as they jockey for posi- tion near a cow (a female whale). They lunge along the surface with their heads ifted and gulp water to swell their massive throats in an attempt to make themselves appear larger, much as land mammals do by raising their hackles or manes. They blast their rivals with disorienting clouds of bubbles, fending them off by extending their pectoral fins and lashing at one another with their tail flukes. Their breeding system is complex. Males compete for females with lunges, tail slashes, blocks, and charges. Competitive groups may consist of two to more than 20 males around a single female, vying for the best positions, and these groups last or hours. When a big whale dives, currents set in motion by the passage of so many tons of esh come eddying up in a column that smoothes the surface of the sea. This flat, waveless patch on the surface of the water, known as a flukeprint, is the telltale giveaway that a whale is beneath the surface. WOTS0d0N LY480u Bryde’s Whale The best means to distinguish the Bryde’s whale (pronounced BROO-dus) at sea is to look for the three prominent ridges that run longitudinally down the top of the head. The three ridges run from just behind the tip of the snout to right in front of the blowholes and are composed of one central ridge and two lateral sub-ridges. Bryde’s whales are most easily confused with sei and fin whales in lower latitudes. Sei and fin whales are usually larger, with only one rostral ridge (rather than three) and are less likely to arch the back during a dive. On the belly, the throat grooves (‘ventral pleats”) extend to or beyond the navel, whereas the throat grooves of the sei do not reach the navel. Fin whales have a distinctive right lower jaw (in Bryde’s whales, both jaws are dark gray, although they may both be white in the “pygmy” form) and a more variably shaped dorsal fin that appears at the surface after the blowholes. Minke whales are much smaller and rarely have a visible blow. The humpback whale is darker and stockier, usually with a less prominent and less sickle-shaped dorsal fin, and frequently raises its flukes while diving. SAVOY SIMA NATSY YA, Above: Three ridges on the head identify a Bryde’s whale In general, Bryde’s whales are identified by their grey body, sometimes mottled, and prominent, sickle-shaped dorsal fin. Adults may reach 13 to 15.5 metres (43 to 51 feet) and up to 30 tons; at birth approximately 3.4 metres (11 feet), and one ton. It is now accepted that there are at least two forms of the species, which may vary in size and migratory habits. Bryde’s whales are seen singly or in small groups of two to six individuals, although larger concentrations may be found in areas of food abundance. They feed largely on schooling fishes, anchovies and juvenile tuna but also eat cephalopods and pelagic crustaceans. Bryde’s whales are believed to spend all of their time in warm water. Presumably, they are able to forage throughout the year in their tropical habitat, rather than fasting in winter, as many baleen species do. They usually surface steeply;w like other baleen whales. The blow is three to four metres high. They seldom fluke-up before diving. It is generally believed that they usually move at two to seven kilometers per hour, but can swim as fast as 20 to 25 kilometers per hour and dive up to 300 metres. Unlike other large whales, it appears to lack a distinct breeding season, appar- ently calving at any time of the year. Calves are probably weaned at about six months of age. Bryde’s whales have a two-year reproductive cycle composed of an 11- to 12-month gestation period, six months of lactation, and six months of resting. Calves are weaned at about seven metres in body length. The age of sexual maturity is eight to 11 years, when females are approximately 12 metres (39.4 feet) in length and males are 11 metres (39 feet) long. —Continued on next page WALEACE & ©Om a Fishing SOW vache Bquipnient Icom VHF Penn Reels Garmin GPS Penn Parts Accessories ‘ , Penn Service Leatherman py & Repair = ‘We moved to former Salty Dog - next to Porthole ss aE —r | Some people call us the “most interesting shop in the Caribbean.” ae «© Wander around. You will find things you have been seeking for ages. We oo +; » + offer a wide range of hardware as well as necessary accessories and spares. Looking for a table hinge, a hatch spring, or a ladder? Come to us and get the right screws with it one time. Want to catch fish? Get a simple hand line with a lure just right for the speed of your boat, or go for a rod and reel to help you win the next fish- ing toumament. We take pride in sharing our expertise with you because we want YOU to succeed. Diving or snorkeling? 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