Center for Coastal Studies

Humpback Whale Migration Update: April 9, 1997

Greetings from the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary --

I'll start today's report with a timely question for you -- "If April Showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? (Answer at the end of this message.)

Spring seems to be here (FINALLY). The blizzard snow has melted, the crocuses are blooming, the robins are feeding outside my window AND THE HUMPBACK WHALES ARE STARTING TO ARRIVE!

I talked to David Mattila, a humpback whale researcher with the Center for Coastal Studies who reported that there had been unconfirmed reports over the past couple of weeks that humpbacks were in the area. But on Saturday, during an multi-vehicle right whale patrol (boats, plane and helicopter), humpbacks were spotted in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary along the eastern edge of the Bank.

The researchers were able to photograph the flukes (tails) of the whales and then make positive identifications based on the black and white patterns on the undersides of the tails (each pattern is different -- a "fingerprint" for whales). The given names (as opposed to file numbers) for these whales are often derived from some aspect of the markings. The April 5th survey recorded 10 humpbacks, including Salt, Olympia, Pepper with what is possibly last year's calf, Spider, Reaper, Echo, Mural (all females) and Alphorn (the only male). There were no new calves in this group.

Dave mentioned that humpbacks use a staggered migration and that different types of humpbacks arrive up here at Stellwagen Bank and elsewhere in the Gulf of Maine at different times.

This week's Challenge Question is:

Challenge Question # 6
"What are the major groups of humpback whales that migrate at the same time, and why would they migrate in this order?"

To respond to this Challenge Question please follow the instructions at the end of this report.

Dave also noted that the humpbacks were accompanied by about 10-12 finback whales and perhaps two hundred or more Atlantic white-sided dolphins. They all appeared to be feeding on small prey -- but it could not be determined what that prey was.

These whales have made the trip from the Caribbean -- the breeding and calving grounds for the Western Atlantic stock of humpback whales. This leads me to last week's challenge questions. The first question asked about the Turks and Caicos, including Grand Turk. The Turks and Caicos are two groups of islands in the British West Indies at the southeast end of the Bahamas. Grand Turk is the seat of government for this British colony. As to why the humpback whales were here this year, there are several possible answers: 1) the population may be growing and whales are filling in spaces not used previously; 2) people weren't looking for them before, so they weren't noticed (even though they might have been there); and 3) changes in the environment not yet understood may be sending them that way. Basically -- researchers are just not sure as to what constitutes normal humpback territory.

The whales in the Caribbean come from the Western North Atlantic stock of humpbacks. When they head north, these whales separate out into five herds that swim to specific feeding grounds: 1) Gulf of Maine (including Stellwagen Bank)/Scotian Shelf; 2) Gulf of St. Lawrence; 3) Newfoundland/Labrador; 4) southwestern Greenland; and 5) Iceland-Denmark Strait. Individual whales usually return to the same regions every summer, with mothers bringing their babies with them to join the feeding herd.

Besides the northwestern Atlantic population of humpbacks, there once was an eastern group that may have reached as far as Spitsbergen and the Barents Sea, but they are negligible in numbers now. In the Southern Atlantic whales migrate to and from the coasts of Brazil and the mid-African coast to the Southern Ocean.

Will Hagan, Macalester College

Another group of North Pacific whales uses the quiet, warm waters around the Hawaiian Islands for calving (another National Marine Sanctuary). These whales travel to southeastern Alaska (although they can occasionally be found off the coast of British Columbia). A representative of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary told me yesterday that it looks like the majority of whales have started on their way up north. The numbers of humpbacks in Hawaii are a lot lower this week than last.

A western population found in the summer calving grounds in Japanese waters off the Bonin Islands and Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa) and the Mariana Islands in the Philippine Sea may make its way to the Bering Sea, the south side of the Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska. But western Pacific whales have also been seen along the British Columbia coast and in Hawaii, while some Hawaiian whales have been seen along the Mexican coast. (Perhaps the whales subscribe to that old saying that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence -- or in this case, the other side of the ocean.)

In the southern Pacific there is an Antarctic stock which feeds in the Southern Ocean during their summer and calves in the waters around Australia and New Zealand in the winter. Another stock can be found just east of the Australian whales. They too feed in the Southern Ocean and have been found in much of the South Pacific, including American Samoa (site of another National Marine Sanctuary). Whalewatching (particularly through nature tours of the Galapagos Islands) has also caught on along the Pacific Coast of South America. Whales calve in the warm tropical and subtropical waters and move south to the temperate and polar waters to feed.

That's all on humpback whales for this week. And now, here my answer to the opening question: "Pilgrims" (a fitting sort of answer coming to you direct from Plymouth, Mass.)

This is Anne Smrcina, education coordinator for the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, signing off until April 23rd.

How to Respond to Journey North Humpback Whale Challenge Question # 6

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-hwhale@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question # 6
3. In the body of the message, give your answer to this question:

Challenge Question # 6
"What are the major groups of humpback whales that migrate at the same time, and why would they migrate in this order?"

Don't Forget!
Please include the name of your school and your location so we can credit you properly for your answers.

The Humpback Whale Migration Update Will be Posted on April 23, 1997.