Humpback Whales Are No Longer Endangered in Australia

Let us celebrate one of the most successful conservation stories in the world!

Humpback whales have now been removed from Australia’s list of endangered species! Whale-watchers are getting an early fill of joy and excitement as some of these ocean giants start to make their spectacular show in Sydney, the Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Merimbula, and other areas along these whales’ migration pathway!

The sight of a breaching humpback can take anyone’s breath away! Measuring up to more than 60 feet in length and weighing up to 40 tons, you can just imagine how much energy this giant must use to propel itself out of the water.

Then, there’s the sudden huge splash! As if breaching is just child’s play for a humpback.

And then, there’s the melodious singing. It’s both mystical and intelligent, the very reason why scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) included a humpback’s whale song among the messages it sent via Voyager into space, hoping aliens would listen and care to decipher their meaning — and send us a message back.

And yes, only the male humpback whales sing; that is why experts assume that it is their way of attracting mates.

But then, do you know that young humpback whales communicate with their mothers through “whispers“? They do not sing; instead, the calves whisper so that predators or adult male humpbacks cannot hear them and separate them from their moms.

These ocean giants are really amazing! And it’s so thrilling that their population has bounced back!

This season, about 40,000 humpback whales are migrating to the Antarctic, and you can expect them to be back with a louder hurrah!

This article by Doris de Luna was first published by The Animal Rescue Site.

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