Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Whale Watching on the Keramas
Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) visit the Keramas every year from January to April.
Many tours are available. Those who wish to get up close and personal might choose a tour using
Zodiac-type boats. Those prone to seasickness or apprehensive of rocking in the open ocean in a small
boat might prefer a tour using larger crat. Either way, it's an exciing experience for children and
adults. The shape and color of every humpback's dorsal in and tail are unique, as individual in each
animal as are ingerprints to humans. In general, their body is black on the upper side and motled
black and white on the underside. Flippers range from all white to all black. Adult males measure
around 40-50 feet (12-15 meters) and females a litle less, about 30-40 feet (9-12 meters). Weight
varies from 25 to 40 tons. Females give birth to a calf every 2-3 years ater a gestaion period close
to 12 months. A newborn calf is 10-15 feet (3-4.5 meters) long and weighs about two tons. Some
years ago, scienists discovered that humpbacks sing complex songs, each lasting 10-20 minutes and
repeated coninuously for hours at a ime. Since singing appears to be exclusively male, it's thought
to be part of maing behavior. Man and killer whales are the major predators of humpbacks. Sharks
also attack them. It is believed that there are approximately 75,000 humpback whales alive today,
about 15-20 percent of their original populaion before 19th- and 20th-century whaling decimated
their numbers.
The Queen Zamami III hydrofoil.
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search