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|style="padding:0 0.9em 0 0;" | [[File:  | |style="padding:0 0.9em 0 0;" | [[File:Humpback whale noaa.jpg|300px]]  | ||
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The '''[[  | The '''[[humpback whale]]''' is a species of baleen whale with a distinctive body shape. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours at a time. Its purpose is not clear, though it may have a role in mating.  | ||
Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 km (16,000 mi) each year. Humpbacks feed in [[Southern Ocean|polar waters]], and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed and give birth when they fast and live off their fat reserves. Their diet consists mostly of [[krill]] and small fish.  | |||
Like other large whales, the humpback was a target for the [[whaling]] industry. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a 1966 moratorium. While stocks have partially recovered, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships and noise pollution continue to impact the population of 80,000.  | |||
<p><small>Photographer:   | <p><small>Photographer: NOAA Photographer</small></p>  | ||
[[:Category:Images|'''(More Featured Images)''']]  | [[:Category:Images|'''(More Featured Images)''']]  | ||
<div class="potd-recent" style="text-align:right;">  | <div class="potd-recent" style="text-align:right;">  | ||