Winter This time of year you will find most of the humpback whales from the northern hemisphere in warm tropical waters. A few juveniles will spend their winter in warmer waters, but not make the journey all the way to the tropics. Regardless of the whales starting point, they all have the same purpose in mind. They head for the safe, warm waters for annual calving and breeding. Winter breeding behavior shows the beautiful gymnastic breeching behavior of the humpbacks Coutesy Tom Conlin In the northern hemisphere there are several humpback whale populations, each of which takes a highly specific migration route. The North Atlantic population all have the same destination in mind for their winter migration.They will travel to the safe and warm Caribbean, primarily around the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The other populations of humpbacks that move along the coast of North America have their preferred travel destinations as well. The eastern Pacific whales travel from Central America to southern Alaska. Also headed for Alaska are the central Pacific population that winters among the Hawaiian Islands. At the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary the first whales came in to the area in November, with numbers peaking in late January-early February. While in these tropical waters, the whales engage in some of their famous breeding behavior. Lucky viewers can watch them perform some of their highly acrobatic rolling and breaching stunts. Under the surface, the water booms, roars and trumpets with the songs of the humpbacks. Imagine that in a typical song session, the humpback will sing its song over and over for hours on end. Click to listen Song of the humpback Courtesy of the Ocean Mammal Institute Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form