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Challenge Question #3

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> ----------
> From: Journey North[SMTP:edonnelly@jriver.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 1998 11:18 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: Humpback Whale Migration Update: April 1, 1998
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> Humpback Whale Migration Update: April 1, 1998
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> Humpback Whale Migration Updates Will be Posted on WEDNESDAYS:
> Feb. 4, 18, Mar. 4, 18, Apr. 1, 15, 29, May 12, 26
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> Today's Report Includes:
> * Still Time to Name a Humpback Whale!
> * Whalewatching Starts in Massachusetts
> * Whales Leaving Dominican Republic Waters
> * Fewer Humpbacks in Hawaii
> * Discussion of Challenge Question #5
> * Challenge Question #6
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> Today's report is also available on the WWW at:
> =
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/spring1998/critters/hwhale/Update040198.
> html
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> *********************************************************************
> Greetings from the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary:
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> Still Time to Name a Humpback Whale!
> Attention whale enthusiasts: You still have time to name one of the
> new
> humpback whales that have been listed in the North Atlantic Humpback
> Whale
> catalog (all they have now are numbers). I will be representing JN
> students
> at the official whale naming party now scheduled for April 11th (it
> was
> postponed due to one of our few snow storms this season). Check out
> my
> earlier report for the correct procedure to name a whale. Remember =

--
> I need
> the whale's catalog number and your written justification in order to
> defend
> your suggestion at the meeting.
> =
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/spring1998/critters/hwhale/Update030498.
> html
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> Whalewatching Starts in Massachusetts
> It looks like another whalewatching season is upon us.  Commercial
> fleets are
> restocking their vessels and gearing up for what they hope will be
> another
> exciting year of watching humpbacks and other whale species on
> Stellwagen
> Bank.  Many of the companies will start mid-April, although =
occasional
> trips
> are now being scheduled for the first two weeks of the month.
> Although the
> migrating humpbacks have not yet arrived, early whalewatchers may get
> an
> opportunity to see right whales (from a distance -- there is a 500
> yard
> no-approach requirement) and finbacks (several large individuals have
> been
> spotted).
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> Whales Leaving Dominican Republic Waters
> Kim Beddall in the Dominican Republic reports that some humpback
> mothers and
> calves are still in Samana Bay, but most of the other whales seem to
> have left
> those sheltered waters in the Caribbean.  Whalewatching there
> continued well
> into March.  Often the problem was lack of passengers, not one of =
lack
> of
> whales or boats (many tourists did not know that whales were still
> being seen
> past the official end of the season).  Kim mentioned that a large
> surface
> active group seen late in March included several large whales.  She
> has also
> seen some very tiny babies, probably whales that were just recently
> born
> (rather late in the season).  The mothers are probably biding their
> time until
> their calves are strong enough to make the long swim north to the
> feeding
> grounds.
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> Fewer Humpbacks in Hawaii
> I checked in with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine
> Sanctuary to find out how the whale population was doing there, and
> was told
> that the numbers are now down.  There have been no sightings of =
whales
> from
> shore, although some whalewatching boats have seen humpbacks in the
> channels
> between the islands.  Breaching behavior is not being seen, =
suggesting
> that
> the older, competitive groups have departed, leaving the late mothers
> to nurse
> their calves.
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> Discussion of Challenge Question #5
> My Challenge Question of last week was about the Hawaiian humpbacks.
> Where do
> they go to feed in the summer?  It is believed that the bulk of the
> Hawaiian
> humpbacks feed in areas along southwest Alaska, including Glacier Bay
> National
> Park.  These whales have a long distance migration with no shallow
> areas
> between the islands and the continental shelf off Alaska.  It's still
> a
> mystery how the whales find their way between these two distant
> points.
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> I've mentioned humpbacks in the North Atlantic and in the North
> Pacific.
> This week's Challenge Question to you is: =20
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> Challenge Question #6
> "Are the North Atlantic and North Pacific the only places to see
> humpbacks,
> or are they found elsewhere on the earth?"
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> That's all until my next report.  We should have some 97 new humpback
> whale
> names at that time -- hopefully some from JN students.  This is Anne
> Smrcina
> signing off.
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> *********************************************************************
> How to Respond to Today's Challenge Question=20
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> 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 your message, answer the question above.
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> The Next Humpback Whale Migration Update will Be Posted on April 15,
> 1998.
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