JLawB2

__Humpback Whale__
 //Endangered//  **__Scientific Name__** - Megaptera novaeangliae Biology - The Humpback Whale is one of the largest animals in the world. Males can grow to be up to 50 feet long and weigh 40 tons. Females can grow to be up to 50 feet as well but can be about 40 tons as well. One of the most distinguishable features on the humpback whale is their fins, which can be up to an 15 feet long. The coloring on the whale is both light and dark. The top side of the whale is darker and the underside is lighter. This camouflages the whale, because when looking down into the sea, it looks dark like the whales back. And likewise when looking up to the surface, it is lighter, like the whales belly. Humpback whales can live to be about 45 to 50 years old, but reach sexual maturity at the age of 5.  **__Population and Whaling__** - Because these whales a slower, they were easy targets for the early whalers who would kill them for their meat and oil. It wasn't until the whale populations dropped to below 1,000 that the [|International Whaling Commission]started to take action. They did this by creating a ban on commercial whaling. But whaling is still a major issuer today. In Japan, whale is considered a rare delicacy, and there for is a profitable trade. But the ban has been affective, but there is still much work to be done. Because of the conservation efforts, their populations have risen to around 30,000according to the [|NOAA] Even though this number seems like a lot, this is only about 35% of the original numbers of the humpback whale. **__Location__** - The humpback whale is located all over the world. The travel all over the oceans and do this all year long. In the summer months, they are often found in the tropics along the equator. They are here to raise their calfs and then in the winter, they travel to the northern regions to eat and to mate,according to the [|Whale Center of New England.]