A humpback whale calf measures between 10-16 feet (3-4.5 meters) in length and can weigh up to one ton (907kg). A calf will spend a year nursing on the mother’s rich milk, which is between 45-60% fat.
For the first year of their life, they will remain by their mother’s side. They nurse on her high-fat milk for at least 5 months and often as long as a year.
It’s common to see a whale calf trying to perform a good breach over and over and then have the mother come up unexpectedly to show the calf how it should be done.
At birth, the whale calf is light to medium gray in color. By the time the whale calf is much larger, quite acrobatic, and usually black in color.
The unique and identifying markings of its tail will not develop for another three years.
Humpback Whale mothers tail fin looking like a shark fin.
We were lucky enough to see a Shearwater flying by.
