Humpback Whales: Anatomy
In Humpback Whales: Anatomy, people discuss their close encounters with whales. Professor Joy Reidenberg discusses what she has learned from dissecting dead whales. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Natural World: Humpback Whales — A Detective Story, a documentary about our relationship with whales and their future alongside us.
Lesson Express
Q: What similarities do humpback whales and humans have?
A: Although a humpback is bigger than a human, the throat size is the same. Whales are mammals and their ancestors once lived on land. Whales have a high body temperature and their skin sheds like humans.
Q: Although whales are considered gentle, what is some evidence that shows whales can be dangerous?
A: A humpback whale is 500 times larger than a human. The whale doesn’t have teeth, so they can hold both large and small items in their mouths.
Q: If you had to swim in the ocean with whales, what are a few things that you could do to protect yourself?
A: Be mindful of your area and movements, keep a safe distance, and ask an expert for guidance.
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In Meet the Humpback Whale, naturalist Steve Backshall swims with humpback whales. He sends a drone out to capture footage of them playing and breaching the water around Isla de la Plata in Ecuador. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
In The Sophisticated Feeding Technique of Humpback Whales, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Southern Ocean and the humpback whales that feed there. When Antarctica broke off from South America, it created swirling currents that sweep up nutrients from the bottom of the ocean, making it one of the richest waters on earth. In the summer, humpback whales come there to feast on shoals of krill, blowing curtains of bubbles and spiraling inwards to capture the swarm. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Meet the Humpback Whale, naturalist Steve Backshall swims with humpback whales. He sends a drone out to capture footage of them playing and breaching the water around Isla de la Plata in Ecuador. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
In The Sophisticated Feeding Technique of Humpback Whales, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Southern Ocean and the humpback whales that feed there. When Antarctica broke off from South America, it created swirling currents that sweep up nutrients from the bottom of the ocean, making it one of the richest waters on earth. In the summer, humpback whales come there to feast on shoals of krill, blowing curtains of bubbles and spiraling inwards to capture the swarm. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.