The humpback whale has a very coarse and firm skin. This offers him protection against the cold and other external influences. On his skin there are all kinds of microorganisms that are part of different colonies consisting of bacteria or parasites. Scientists have found a link between these colonies and the habitat where the whale lives. The mammal travels thousands of kilometers annually and can be found in various oceans. It is found in the North and South Pacific oceans, among other places.
The humpback whale
- The humpback whale
- Parasites on the skin
- Other microbes that occur on the skin
- Color and texture of the skin
The humpback whale
The humpback whale is a whale that can weigh about 35 to 40 tons. It has a dorsal fin that faces backwards and a thick skin that keeps it at the right temperature. It occurs in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and South Pacific oceans. The humpback whale travels thousands of miles here to find a mate. He explores the warmer parts of the ocean with a tropical climate. This distinguishes them from most other whales. Many other whale species migrate to look for food.
The hunt
These mammals use a kind of ‘bubble net’ when hunting. This is a method of catching a large amount of fish. Several whales work together to get the desired effect. By blowing enough bubbles, the fish become disoriented and temporarily trapped within an area. The humpback whale itself has also been prey for a long time, namely for humans. Because of its thick skin, harpoons have been used to kill the animal. Today, whaling is prohibited in most countries.
Humpback whales in the Netherlands
Sometimes the humpback whale is discovered in Dutch waters. In addition to the humpback whale, a sperm whale is sometimes observed in the North Sea. These two mammals are sometimes misnamed because they are usually difficult to distinguish from a greater distance. This is partly due to the height of the waves, so that the dorsal fin is less noticeable.
To get lost
It sometimes happens that the mammal temporarily ends up in a harbor. The humpback whale has a good sense of orientation that usually allows it to free itself from this predicament. That is why the coast guard usually gives the animal a few hours to find the sea again. Only when this is not possible do they actively help to guide the animal towards the coast.
Parasites on the skin
These mammals have the ability to jump high out of the water. There are several theories about this. This behavior may be displayed to communicate or serve as a mating dance. Another theory is that it removes parasites from their skin. Fortunately, thanks to the thickness of its skin, it is partly protected against parasites.
Whale lice
The humpback whale often has a large number of whale lice on (and in) its skin compared to other whales. These sea creatures partly burrow into the skin of whales and consist of thousands. These are actually small crustaceans that live on the skin of the mammal. They eat kill cells from the whale skin and usually stay in place for their lifetime. Normally the animal is not bothered by this, however there are extreme cases known where the health of the whale has deteriorated to such an extent that there was too large a whale louse population.
Other microbes that occur on the skin
Researcher Christina A. Kellogg released a paper in 2014 on the microbes found on the humpback whale’s skin. Two types of bacteria are abundant here, namely bacteria of the genus Tenacibaculum and Psychrobacter. She concluded that these colonies regularly changed in diversity. This was noticeable during the mammal’s migration. A link has also been found with the metabolism of the mammal. When the whales were hungry or had enough food at their disposal, the ratio between the amount of Tenacibaculum and Psychorobacter bacteria changed. This has proven that internal factors also play a role in the composition of bacteria on the skin. Incidentally, when the creature died there was a reduction in these colonies. The concentration of pathogens in the colony of parasites was increased.
Color and texture of the skin
This whale species is clearly recognizable by its coarse skin. The housing of a humpback whale has more relief than that of other whales. The top of its body is dark in color while the bottom of its body is white. In it he has deep grooves (folds) that run smoothly along his lower body. Typically, it has fewer grooves than other whales (usually it has between 14 and 22 folds). These grooves are further apart than other species.