Whale Migration
Whale migration can cover incredibly
long distances.
.
For any animals to migrate, particularly in long distances, the benefits have to outweigh the risks and the costs of energy. While birds for example migrate to higher latitudes for summer months since the insect concentrations are worth it, many whales migrate to warmer waters during winter months to mate and give birth to their young in warmer waters. During the summer, they migrate to cool waters towards the poles where there is lots of krill to eat.
Blue Whale Migration
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Blue Whales
migrate thousands of miles every year between their summer feeding
grounds in higher latitudes, and their winter breeding grounds closer
to the equator in warmer waters. When they migrate, they don't eat
anything
for months. Older whales migrate first while younger whales follow
behind them. In warm waters, they mate, and pregnant females give
birth, before they start the
journey to colder waters again. In the cold waters of Arctic or
Antarctic, they feed on krill which is plentiful during summer months.
Migration of the Gray Whales
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There
are two
populations of Gray
Whales, both in the Northern Hemisphere. The smaller Western
Pacific population travels from Kamtchatka Peninsula in
Russia's far east to warm waters south of Korea and Japan
during the winter months to mate and give birth to the young. The
larger Eastern Pacific population travels about 10,000 km from
Alaska to Mexico which is believed to be the longest yearly migration
route in all mammals. Pregnant whales arrive first, give birth and
leave
latest, once the calves are ready for the journey.
Journey of Humpbacks
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Humpback
Whales,
just like Blue Whales, are found in both hemispheres. They, too,
migrate long distances between their winter feeding grounds in higher
latitudes, and summer breeding grounds in warmer waters closer to the
equator. They travel quite slowly, and stop off in places along the
road to rest and socialize. Older juveniles tend to travel first, then
mature males and finally females with calves. Humpbacks are famous for
their whale song while
migrating, although other whales, e.g. some Blue Whales do sing too.
Dolphin Migration
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Do
dolphins migrate? Many species of dolphins move seasonally
to
find more
abundant food and better water temperatures. This, however, is not
migration, as migration by definition means annual movements between
the same places in each end. Dolphin's movements are more nomadic than
migratory, they don't move back and forth between the same places.
And unlike baleen
whales, they
don't move for the purpose of
breeding. They also don't move long
distances as do the baleen whales.
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