Humpback whales roaming the fjords of Skjervøy, Norway

Every winter, hundreds of Humpback whales enter the fjords of Norway following the populations of herrings on which they feed on. They spend the months of November, December and January feasting on these fish before migratin back to tropical waters for their breeding season.
There are estimated to be 18-20,000 humpback whales in the North Pacific and approximately 12,000 in the North Atlantic and approximately 50,000 in the Southern Ocean. Global estimates are not available. Humpback whales are loosely social and are often found in small, unstable groups. They are highly migratory, moving between warm water breeding areas and highly productive, cold-water foraging grounds on a seasonal schedule. They are typically found in coastal or shelf waters. During the winter months male humpbacks sing to attract females and all members of a population have common elements in their songs that shift simultaneously through time. The humpback whale’s song is probably its best-known character. This species is very vocal, making a wide variety of sounds including moans, groans, cries, squeals, chirps and clicks in addition to the elaborate mating songs which incorporate a variety of types of sounds. Humpback whales are known for their spectacular aerial behaviours. They also perform several unusual modes of feeding including a form of cooperative feeding using bubble-nets. Humpback whales are not particularly deep divers; they dive for an average of seven minutes, but dives up to 30 minutes have been documented. Humpback whales have a broad diet, feeding on krill and other schooling invertebrates as well as a wide variety of small schooling fishes including herring, capelin, sand lance, and mackerel.
Killer whales commonly attack humpbacks, although fatal attacks seem to be primarily confined to young animals.
#humpback
#whales
#orcas
#arctic
#norway

[@jenniferriley1071]

Beautiful

[@laviniacarolina8367]

Beautiful video. And so lucky to get humpback whales so close!! May I ask with which company you booked this whale safari tour? I 'm in Skjervøy in 2 weeks.

[@URZALA1]

Thanks for your message; I worked as a skipper myself there; I can put you in touch with a good company there that takes people on the fjord