#humpbackwhales — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #humpbackwhales, aggregated by home.social.
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https://www.europesays.com/africa/228723/ Middle East conflicts a danger for whales off S.Africa: study #BlueWhales #CapeTown #CargoVessels #HumpbackWhales #InternationalMonetaryFund #InternationalWhalingCommission #SeaTraffic #ShipStrikes #ShippingCompanies #SouthAfrica #SouthernAfrica #SouthernRightWhale
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🐋 Oh, look! Humpback whales are throwing their own rave and we humans are just the 🐢-paced spectators. BBC takes a break from saving the world to cover this breaking news: whales are apparently better at group projects than we ever were in college. 🎉
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260416-the-humpback-super-groups-swarming-the-seas #HumpbackWhales #WhaleRave #GroupProjects #NatureNews #BBCBreakingNews #HackerNews #ngated -
CW: A spotlight on the best-selling nature recording of all time, Songs of the Humpback Whale (CW'd for length)
Humpback Whale – Songs of the Humpback Whale (1970, inside the ocean)
Our next spotlight is on number 396 on The List, submitted by platenworm.
When I put this album on – my first ever listen – I immediately wondered if someone would have a different experience of this album if they were able to go into it without any context. No artist name, no album name, no release date, nothing. So, for anyone who was interested, I first posted a version of this on the 1001 OA Fediverse account with a link to the album stripped of its metadata, with only the below abstract descriptions, minus the footnotes. The format of the blog doesn’t allow for such a blind listen but I can at least hide the identifying descriptions in footnotes, so:
The work we listen to today is an experimental a cappella album that started a movement, featuring a hybrid of avant-garde vocals and spoken word.[1]
In part, this album captures the sounds of the Cold War around the time of the Cuban Revolution,[2] albeit in what seems to be coded lyrics in a language understood by approximately only 80,000 worldwide.[3] The tracks are renditions of traditional pieces that have been passed down for generations within the region, allowed to be performed only by male (or, perhaps, masculine-presenting) individuals, and only after reaching sexual maturity.[4]
The artists[5] captured on this album have never been paid a dime for their work, even though it’s the most popular recording of its genre,[6] in part due to the artists’ anonymity and reclusiveness. For the same reasons, the artists likely are not aware that an excerpt of this album has travelled to and currently exists in interstellar space.[7]
It is unknown whether the artists had any further releases, or whether they are still alive.
- Bandcamp: Songs of the Humpback Whale
- Discogs: Humpback Whale – Songs of the Humpback Whale
- Wikipedia: Songs of the Humpback Whale (album)
- The Save the Whales movement to end commercial whaling. ↩︎
- Tracks 1, 2, and 4 (“Solo Whale”, “Slowed-Down Solo Whale”, and “Distant Whale”) were recorded in the late 1950s by U.S. Navy engineer Frank Watlington while listening for Russian submarines. ↩︎
- The recordings are the vocalizations of male humpback whales during breeding season. If the Internets is correct, there are approximately 80,000 humpback whales alive today, hence the number used here; it presumably was higher at the time the album was released. ↩︎
- See ftnt 3. Also, research done while making this album found that all males whales in one ocean “sing” the same “song”, with the song slightly changing with each breeding season. ↩︎
- The title/indexing of this post seems a little bit ridiculous, but Discogs does actually have “Humpback Whale” as the artist of this album (and has a full page of releases under it) and I needed an album by an artist starting with an “H” for reasons, so I’m sticking with it. Most credit the album to biologist Roger Payne, who found out about Watlington’s recordings (see ftnt 2) and did subsequent research and further recordings with zoologist and then-spouse Katy Payne. Katy then went on to analyze these recordings for the next 30+ years, even after her marriage to Roger ended, and yet her name is not in the credits. Hmm. Katy has also extensively studied the vocalizations of elephants, and, just as this album is, her recordings of elephants are in the National Recording Registry. ↩︎
- Even in 2023 when Roger Payne died, the album was still the best-selling environmental/nature record ever. ↩︎
- Part of the album is on the Voyager Golden Record that’s on the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft launched in 1977, both of which have since reached interstellar space. ↩︎
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How German rescuers plan to use air cushions to save Timmy the stranded, sick whale
BERLIN — Rescuers in Germany began an elaborate operation Thursday to save a sick humpback whale that has been repeatedly stranded off…
#Germany #DE #Europe #EU #Europa #animalrescue #humpbackwhales #marinelife #ocean #rescues #Whales #worldnews
https://www.europesays.com/germany/5170/ -
What do whales really communicate? How do they navigate vast oceans? Follow this #surffeed and dive into the fascinating stories about these magnificent creatures. #Whales #Orcas #BelugaWhales #HumpbackWhales #Ocean #SurfSocial bsky.app/profile/did:...
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:27djlszfjuyd3ig4uptwmotd/feed/whale-kings- -
Sardine Run and passed in perfect formation. One of those underwater moments that slows everything down.
https://scubahanknyc.com/2026/02/16/humpback-whales-sardine-run/
#SardineRun #HumpbackWhales #ScubaDiving #UnderwaterVideo #marinelife #whales
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Sardine Run and passed in perfect formation. One of those underwater moments that slows everything down.
https://scubahanknyc.com/2026/02/16/humpback-whales-sardine-run/
#SardineRun #HumpbackWhales #ScubaDiving #UnderwaterVideo #marinelife #whales
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Sardine Run and passed in perfect formation. One of those underwater moments that slows everything down.
https://scubahanknyc.com/2026/02/16/humpback-whales-sardine-run/
#SardineRun #HumpbackWhales #ScubaDiving #UnderwaterVideo #marinelife #whales
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Sardine Run and passed in perfect formation. One of those underwater moments that slows everything down.
https://scubahanknyc.com/2026/02/16/humpback-whales-sardine-run/
#SardineRun #HumpbackWhales #ScubaDiving #UnderwaterVideo #marinelife #whales
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https://www.europesays.com/africa/134113/ Noctourism is on the rise in Africa—here are 10 of the best safaris after dark #Africa #BestNightSafaris #BigFive #HumpbackWhales #KalahariDesert #NightSafaris #NoctourismInAfrica #OkavangoDelta #Pangolin #zorilla
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Canadian #humpbackwhales thrive with a little help from their friends
The #whales may have learned from Alaskan humpbacks how to make #bubblenets to corral fish. Observational data collected over 20 years suggest a few key individuals are passing the knowledge through social networks. In the Kitimat Fjord System in northern #BritishColumbia, groups of up to sixteen humpbacks can now be spotted #bubblenetting as a team.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/humpback-whales-learn-bubble-netting
https://archive.ph/WwKGN -
#Whaling may have started 1,500 years earlier than already known
Evidence for early whaling in #Brazil shows that #Indigenous people hunted #whales 5,000 years ago
The findings not only rewrite the origins of whaling, but also suggest that #humpbackwhales once lived outside their modern range. Until now, scientists believed organized whaling originated between 3,500-2,500 years ago in the Arctic and North Pacific, driven by food scarcity in extreme northern environments.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/whaling-brazil-1500-years-earlier -
#Whaling may have started 1,500 years earlier than already known
Evidence for early whaling in #Brazil shows that #Indigenous people hunted #whales 5,000 years ago
The findings not only rewrite the origins of whaling, but also suggest that #humpbackwhales once lived outside their modern range. Until now, scientists believed organized whaling originated between 3,500-2,500 years ago in the Arctic and North Pacific, driven by food scarcity in extreme northern environments.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/whaling-brazil-1500-years-earlier -
#Whaling may have started 1,500 years earlier than already known
Evidence for early whaling in #Brazil shows that #Indigenous people hunted #whales 5,000 years ago
The findings not only rewrite the origins of whaling, but also suggest that #humpbackwhales once lived outside their modern range. Until now, scientists believed organized whaling originated between 3,500-2,500 years ago in the Arctic and North Pacific, driven by food scarcity in extreme northern environments.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/whaling-brazil-1500-years-earlier -
#Whaling may have started 1,500 years earlier than already known
Evidence for early whaling in #Brazil shows that #Indigenous people hunted #whales 5,000 years ago
The findings not only rewrite the origins of whaling, but also suggest that #humpbackwhales once lived outside their modern range. Until now, scientists believed organized whaling originated between 3,500-2,500 years ago in the Arctic and North Pacific, driven by food scarcity in extreme northern environments.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/whaling-brazil-1500-years-earlier -
#Whaling may have started 1,500 years earlier than already known
Evidence for early whaling in #Brazil shows that #Indigenous people hunted #whales 5,000 years ago
The findings not only rewrite the origins of whaling, but also suggest that #humpbackwhales once lived outside their modern range. Until now, scientists believed organized whaling originated between 3,500-2,500 years ago in the Arctic and North Pacific, driven by food scarcity in extreme northern environments.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/whaling-brazil-1500-years-earlier -
Humpback Tracker: A citizen science project
https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-cornwall/humpback-whales-cornwall#SolarPunkSunday #CitizenScience #HumpbackWhales #Cornwall #Nature #WildLifeTrust #WildLife #Whales #Seas #MarineLife #Oceans #BioDiversity
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Young Travelers: Humpback Whales of the Sardine Run
Marine LifeThe Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is one of the most recognizable giants of the ocean. Known for their complex songs and massive pectoral fins, these travelers migrate thousands of miles each year—passing right through the chaos of the South African Sardine Run.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAzZ0HLvM2E]Young Travelers: Unlike the scarred, barnacle-heavy adults often seen breaching, these three whales appear to be sub-adults. They move in a tight, silent formation, likely for protection as they navigate the predator-rich waters of the Wild Coast.
Species Identification
- Scientific NameMegaptera novaeangliae
- Key FeatureMassive pectoral fins (approx. 1/3 of body length) and a knobby head (tubercles).
- DietFilter feeders: Krill and small schooling fish (though they rarely feed during migration).
- SizeAdults: 14–17 m (46–56 ft); Females are typically larger than males.
- RangeGlobal; migrating between tropical breeding grounds and polar feeding grounds.
The Sardine Run is often defined by chaos—birds diving, dolphins hunting, and sharks frenzied in the bait balls. But every now and then, the ocean offers a moment of pure, suspended grace. While filming off the Wild Coast, I was positioned just below the surface when these three whales appeared out of the gloom.
They weren’t the massive adults we often see breaching in documentaries. These were younger, sleeker whales—moving in a tight formation. They glided past close enough that I could feel the displacement of water from their tails, a stark contrast to the adrenaline of the run.
The Long Migration: These “young travelers” are on one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom. Populations in this region often calve in the warm, tropical waters of the Western Indian Ocean to the north (like Mozambique) before making the long trek south toward the nutrient-rich feeding grounds of Antarctica.
The Shot (Gear Talk): Capturing this clip required staying calm and letting the subjects come to me. Chasing whales is not only unethical but usually results in a “tail shot” as they swim away. By holding my position, I allowed them to pass naturally, keeping the formation intact in the frame.
This was shot on the Panasonic GH5 with the 14-42mm II lens and the Nauticam WWL-1B. The WWL-1B was crucial here; it allows for full zoom-through capabilities, meaning I could be wide enough to capture the group formation but zoom in slightly as they passed, without losing sharpness.
Note on Lighting: This was shot with ambient light only. For large subjects like whales, strobes are often useless as they only light up the backscatter between you and the subject.
× #AfricaScubaDiving #bigAnimals #humpbackWhales #marineLife #southAfricaSardineRun #whales -
what awesome shot 😯 #humpback #whales
"#HumpbackWhales at Lennox Head in July 2025 by Danielle Smith"
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Underwater microphone records humpback whale sounds off NSW south coast
Underwater microphones are helping researchers understand more about humpback whales as the creatures migrate along Australia’s east coast.…
#NewsBeep #News #Wildlife #AU #Australia #griffithuniversity #humpbackwhales #hydrophone #Marinebiology #millystreet #Science #southcoastnsw #whalemigration #whalesongrecordings #Whales
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/344385/ -
Cameras on Humpback Whales Show Sucker-Fish Hitchhiking on Them https://petapixel.com/2025/11/10/cameras-on-humpback-whales-show-sucker-fish-hitchhiking-on-them/ #underwatercamera #humpbackwhales #suckerfish #whale #News
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New York City was visited by nine different whales in one day and the photos are incredible
https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/whales-in-new-york-ex1
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Humpback whale breach spectacle in Costa Rica captured on camera by kayakers
A group of kayakers in Costa Rica got to see an amazing show of a humpback whale and…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Wildlife #costarica #humpbackwhales #kayaking #Science #Whales #Worldnews
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/169120/ -
Did you know that only #humpbackwhales can bubble feed?
🔗 Find out why from the experts here: http://dlvr.it/TMtRl7
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Humpback whale bubble feeding is so impressive, one tour guide on an excursion had to stop and enjoy the mesmerizing sight.
🔗 Watch the video: http://dlvr.it/TMsDmg
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From sanctuary to shipping lane: LNG Canada tankers threaten BC’s whale haven
#IndigenousPeoples #BC #Canada #GitgaatNation #IndigenousStewardship #IndigenousRights #LNGCanada #BCWhales #DouglasChannel #HumpbackWhales #FinWhales #MarineLife #Oil #Gas
https://the-14.com/from-sanctuary-to-shipping-lane-lng-canada-tankers-threaten-bcs-whale-haven/ -
From sanctuary to shipping lane: LNG Canada tankers threaten BC’s whale haven
#IndigenousPeoples #BC #Canada #GitgaatNation #IndigenousStewardship #IndigenousRights #LNGCanada #BCWhales #DouglasChannel #HumpbackWhales #FinWhales #MarineLife #Oil #Gas
https://the-14.com/from-sanctuary-to-shipping-lane-lng-canada-tankers-threaten-bcs-whale-haven/ -
From sanctuary to shipping lane: LNG Canada tankers threaten BC’s whale haven
#IndigenousPeoples #BC #Canada #GitgaatNation #IndigenousStewardship #IndigenousRights #LNGCanada #BCWhales #DouglasChannel #HumpbackWhales #FinWhales #MarineLife #Oil #Gas
https://the-14.com/from-sanctuary-to-shipping-lane-lng-canada-tankers-threaten-bcs-whale-haven/ -
From sanctuary to shipping lane: LNG Canada tankers threaten BC’s whale haven
#IndigenousPeoples #BC #Canada #GitgaatNation #IndigenousStewardship #IndigenousRights #LNGCanada #BCWhales #DouglasChannel #HumpbackWhales #FinWhales #MarineLife #Oil #Gas
https://the-14.com/from-sanctuary-to-shipping-lane-lng-canada-tankers-threaten-bcs-whale-haven/ -
From sanctuary to shipping lane: LNG Canada tankers threaten BC’s whale haven
#IndigenousPeoples #BC #Canada #GitgaatNation #IndigenousStewardship #IndigenousRights #LNGCanada #BCWhales #DouglasChannel #HumpbackWhales #FinWhales #MarineLife #Oil #Gas
https://the-14.com/from-sanctuary-to-shipping-lane-lng-canada-tankers-threaten-bcs-whale-haven/ -
#HumpbackWhales Are Blowing #BubbleRings at #Humans—and #Scientists Think It Means Something
Researchers analyzed 39 bubble rings created by 11 different #whales during 12 separate encounters with humans. “The majority of these whales voluntarily approached humans while blowing bubble rings,” said co-lead author and marine photographer Jodi Frediani. “They were calm, curious, and seemed to be observing our response.”
https://www.vice.com/en/article/humpback-whales-are-blowing-bubble-rings-at-humans-and-scientists-think-it-means-something/ -
Major change seen off Australia’s coast linked to ‘worrying’ event thousands of kilometres away
Watching the migration of whales up Australia’s east coast, researchers have documented something “worrying”. Humpbacks are leaving their…
#NewsBeep #News #Wildlife #AssociateProfessorRebeccaDunlop #Australia #breedinggrounds #humpbackwhales #Science #theUniversityofQueensland #UK #UnitedKingdom #YahooNewsAustralia
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/8818/ -
"For the first time, scientists have documented humpback whales blowing large, perfectly formed bubble rings during friendly encounters with humans. These underwater rings—like the smoke rings a human might blow—appear to be more than just playful behavior. Researchers from the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis believe this little-studied phenomenon could also be a form of non-verbal communication.
While humpbacks are already known to use bubbles to herd fish or show dominance when competing for a mate, this new behavior stands out. The whales were not feeding or fighting. Instead, they created bubble rings while calmly interacting with nearby humans, suggesting curiosity, play, or even an attempt to communicate.
This discovery is part of a broader effort by the WhaleSETI team, which studies intelligent behavior in non-human species to help refine how we search for life beyond Earth."
https://scitechdaily.com/underwater-smoke-signals-humpbacks-may-be-talking-to-humans/
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Poor whale vision, human-altered oceans: Fishing gear and ships deadly threats to humpback survival. #HumpbackWhales #OceanConservation #MarineLife
https://www.rathbiotaclan.com/why-humpback-whales-struggle-to-survive-in-a-human-altered-ocean
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Human-altered oceans create deadly blind spots for humpback whales. #HumpbackWhales #OceanConservation #MarineLife
https://www.rathbiotaclan.com/why-humpback-whales-struggle-to-survive-in-a-human-altered-ocean
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https://www.europesays.com/uk/188067/ Researchers study southern right whale nursery off WA coast as population recovery stalls #BlueWhale #Environment #HumpbackWhales #MarineBiology #MarineLife #MarineScience #Science #SouthernOcean #SouthernRightWales #UK #UnitedKingdom #WhaleBreeding #whaling #WhiteWhale
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Scientists Photograph Humpback Whales Blowing Bubble Rings to ‘Speak’ to Humans https://petapixel.com/2025/06/09/scientists-photograph-humpback-whales-blowing-bubble-rings-to-speak-to-humans/ #humpbackwhales #scientists #whales #News
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#Humpback #whales have babies much further south than previously thought.
#HumpbackWhales have begun their #annual #migration up #Australia's east and west coasts.
Researchers thought they headed north to give birth in warmer waters, but a new study using citizen scientist observations reports that newborn calves have been spotted as far south as #Tasmania. #auspol
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-05-20/humpback-whale-calves-migration-south/105303116
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Whalesong patterns follow a universal law of human language, new research finds
All known human languages display a surprising pattern: the most frequent word in a language is twice as frequent as the second most frequent, three times as frequent as the third, and so on. This is known as #ZipfsLaw.
In a new research published in Science, a team of experts in whale song, #linguistics and developmental #psychology analyzed eight years' of song recordings from #HumpbackWhales in #NewCaledonia. Led by Inbal Arnon from the Hebrew University, Ellen Garland from the University of #StAndrews, and Simon Kirby from the University of #Edinburgh, they used techniques inspired by the way human infants learn #language to analyze humpback #whale song.
They discovered that the same #ZipfianPattern universally found across #human languages also occurs in #WhaleSong. This complex signaling system, like human language, is culturally learned by each individual from others.https://phys.org/news/2025-02-whalesong-patterns-universal-law-human.html
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At least 45 #whales were #entangled by fishing ropes & line on the east coast of #Australia in 2024, & experts are calling for better management of #industrialfishing gear to prevent marine mammals suffering.
Dr Olaf Meynecke, a marine scientist at Griffith University, said he believes the true figure is about 100. “They’re really just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
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Hear how baby #Humpback #Whales burp and bark to beg for food.
The burps, barks and snorts #humpbackwhales make when asking their mother for milk are the first recorded instances of begging-like behavior in a #baleen whale.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/baby-humpback-whales-burp-and-bark-to-beg-mom-for-milk/
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#HumpbackWhales make custom #fishing nets — out of bubbles
The 50-foot #whales blow circles of bubbles underwater, creating a net of air that entraps the krill. A new study shows that #humpbacks can do this with remarkable precision to corral their prey, even tailoring the bubble nets for the type of food they’re eating.
https://www.npr.org/2024/09/06/nx-s1-5087900/humpback-whales-krill-bubble-net-feeding -
#Peru approves the creation of long-awaited marine protected area https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/peru-approves-the-creation-of-long-awaited-marine-protected-area/
"the Grau Tropical Sea National Reserve covers just over 115,675 hectares of sea off the departments of Piura and Tumbes in northern Peru. Although small, it is significant due to the rich #biodiversity found there... #HumpbackWhales come here to give birth, and #MantaRays, various #shark species —including the critically endangered hammerhead #sharks — and all species of #SeaTurtles can be found here."
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#Humpbackwhales have a specialised #larynx for #underwater #singing
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Whale Watching Wednesday
I was overwhelmed with happiness when I saw a Humpback Whale breach just a few feet away.
Humpback Whale breaching off the coast of South Africa#ecotourism #humpbackWhales #nature #sardineRun #seaLife #snorkeling #southAfrica #whaleWatching #whales #wildlifeWednesday
