RARE MOTHER AND CALF SIGHTINGS
In the past couple of weeks we have been lucky enough to see not only one, but two mother and calf pairs in the bay! The first pair sighted was an incredibly large humpback whale mother feeding in the north of the bay with a calf sticking close by her side. The second pair sighted was a massive blue whale mother and her calf swimming nicely in sync with her.
Sightings of mother and calf pairs are considered rare in the bay. With Húsavík situated just 50km below the Arctic Circle, the water is quite cold all year round, making the conditions tough for calves. All baleen whales, including the humpback whale and blue whale, migrate to warm southern waters to breed and calve. The calves need to build up a thick blubber layer on their body before they are able to make a migration north to cold waters. Since the calves only stay with their mothers for approximately one year, they have often separated before they would attempt a migration all the way to subarctic and Artic waters. Every once in a while we are fortunate enough to encounter brave mothers who have brought their calves all the way to our subarctic bay. It’s likely it will not be too long before these pairs separate and the calf heads out on its own, so it is extra exciting when we have the chance to see a calf swimming alongside its mom for what may one of the last times!
-Charla
Researcher/Guide
Photos of the humpback whale mom and calf: Roselien Beerten (top) and Charla Basran (bottom)
