Understanding patterns of whale migration means coming to the realization that whale life forms on our planet have developed an extremely complex whale life. Usually, the number one question that continues to crop up about whales is why do these mammals migrate all around the world's oceans like they do?
When it comes to the many diverse species of whale, there really doesn't appear to be any particular species that doesn't undergo some form of migration or another. Almost all take on a migration that takes them from some point on the world ocean to another point which usually results in a migratory pattern that goes from the northern latitudes to the southern latitudes or vice versa.
It is also the case that a whale may spend much of the year in one part of the world ocean but undertake an extremely long migratory process to end up in another part of the world ocean, sometimes thousands of miles away. Usually, such migrations are interconnected with breeding and mating patterns deeply ingrained within each species.
A typical example of such migratory activity is the blue whale. Almost every blue whale undertakes a migration, spending the summer in cooler waters in the Northern Hemisphere and building up fat stores from extensive feeding. Come winter, though, it begins a move to the South and the warmer waters that exist there. Why, though, does a blue whale moved in this particular pattern?
Most marine biologists have a couple of different answers, with the most common being that the whale has learned to evolve in order to take advantage of feeding opportunities existing in cooler waters but also to take advantage of birthing and mating environments in summer waters. These waters also give a calf born of a mother to learn how to begin to take care of itself in a more welcoming environment
What is for certain about these magnificent animals is that their lives are impressively complex and quite wonderful to behold. They can undertake migrations thousands of miles in length in order to carry out their full lives. Their behavior patterns are involved and ancient in ways we cannot understand, and these extremely intelligent mammals continue to beguile us immensely.
When it comes to the many diverse species of whale, there really doesn't appear to be any particular species that doesn't undergo some form of migration or another. Almost all take on a migration that takes them from some point on the world ocean to another point which usually results in a migratory pattern that goes from the northern latitudes to the southern latitudes or vice versa.
It is also the case that a whale may spend much of the year in one part of the world ocean but undertake an extremely long migratory process to end up in another part of the world ocean, sometimes thousands of miles away. Usually, such migrations are interconnected with breeding and mating patterns deeply ingrained within each species.
A typical example of such migratory activity is the blue whale. Almost every blue whale undertakes a migration, spending the summer in cooler waters in the Northern Hemisphere and building up fat stores from extensive feeding. Come winter, though, it begins a move to the South and the warmer waters that exist there. Why, though, does a blue whale moved in this particular pattern?
Most marine biologists have a couple of different answers, with the most common being that the whale has learned to evolve in order to take advantage of feeding opportunities existing in cooler waters but also to take advantage of birthing and mating environments in summer waters. These waters also give a calf born of a mother to learn how to begin to take care of itself in a more welcoming environment
What is for certain about these magnificent animals is that their lives are impressively complex and quite wonderful to behold. They can undertake migrations thousands of miles in length in order to carry out their full lives. Their behavior patterns are involved and ancient in ways we cannot understand, and these extremely intelligent mammals continue to beguile us immensely.
About the Author:
In his studies of whales one aspect that has always intrigued Allan Hoffland is whale migration.
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