Humpback Whales
These baleen whales, among the largest mammals on earth with a length of 40 feet, never fail to startle human viewers. Here in Frederick Sound, Alaska, they gorge on food (small fish and krill, strained through the baleen) all summer before heading to Hawaii for the winter.
(Above) An individual surfaces from bubble feeding, clamping its capacious jaws on a mouthful of water containing food. The whale closes its mouth (left), straining out water while leaving dinner in its mouth. The photo to the left also gives a good view of its blowhole. The exhalation, or spout, can be seen many miles away.
Another view of a whale clamping down on a mouthful of food.
Say Ahhh! The upper part of the whale's jaw shows in this photo. The lower jaw is just visible. The folds in the lower jaw can expand to resemble the lower jaw pouch on a bullfrog.
On a blustery day at the south tip of Admiralty Island, this humpback whale sounds, showing its massive flukes, against a backdrop of rugged Baranof Island.
A cavorting young humpback whale breaches in Seymour Canal near the Glass Peninsula.
