Whales

Diving deeper… among the deepest, are the Humpback Whales. One of the largest species on the planet, growing 50+ feet long, and up to 50,000 to 80,000 lbs - their sheer size alone has always been inspiring to me. These gentle giants live in all oceans around the globe, and have the longest migration of any animal on the planet - sometimes up to 5,000 miles. It’s wild to think of something so gigantic, traveling such extreme distances, all while largely out of sight from our existence on the surface… save for the occasional breech, which is just pure magic to witness!

Something else I find fascinating about whales, is their ability to sing! Whales are among one of the only animals known to develop complex songs, built with all kinds of technical components called units, phrases, and themes… which ultimately combine to create songs. These songs can range from 4 - 30+ minutes! There have been some songs recorded near Hawaii lasting as long as 7 hours 😳There’s lots of speculation as to why whales sing, but it’s still mostly a mystery. I would imagine it’s a form of communication, but perhaps also just for joy of it 🤙