A Humpback Whale Baby Leaves the Nursery
In A Humpback Whale Baby Leaves the Nursery, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows a mother and baby humpback whale as they embark on a dangerous journey. The young calf and starving mother leave the safety of the shallow seas in search of deeper water, where the mother can eat. Along the way, they communicate by slapping their tails and fins against the surface of the water. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Why do the whales leave the shallow sea?
A: The mother hasn’t eaten for eight months; they must leave while she still has enough energy to swim to food-rich waters.
Q: How does a mother humpback whale care for her calf?
A: She has starved herself to raise the calf in safe waters; she feeds her calf milk; she guides and protects her calf on their long voyage.
Q: What makes the mother and calf in the video vulnerable to danger? What dangers do you think the whales might encounter?
A: The calf is only five months old, and the mother is starving; neither one seems strong. They could encounter predators, like orcas or sharks; storms could exhaust them.
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