Description
The Humpback or Hump-backed Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
This little calf weighed in at a birth weight of one to two tons and its adult weight will be from 25-30 tons. A typical adult length will be about 33 feet. Humpbacks are the most energetic of all the large Balaenopteridae family of whales. These large mammals are known for their spectacular breaching and lobtailing. They flipper snap and are known to lie on their back holding one or both flippers in the air. They are slow swimmers and though they’ve been known to make dives lasting up to 45 minutes they usually make three to nine minute ones. Three to eight 15 to 30 second blows follow these dives. Once plentiful they are now classified as rare. Within the Humpback are pictured:
The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus)
These Murrelets are pictured in their black and white winter coats, the rest of the year they are brown above and marbled with light brown and grey below. These seabirds are the size of chubby robins. On the water Marbled Murrelets move about in small groups diving for fish and other aquatic animals. At twilight they disappear inland. It was fairly recently discovered (1960’s and 1970’s) they flew into old growth forests in which they nest from the Aleutians Islands south to central California. A few winter along breeding coasts but their main wintering area is unknown. (They are also found in Asia.) Their survival depends on the survival of old growth forests.
