Pod+3



=Home Sweet Home=

You will find the 3rd whale pod summering near [|Japan]. While you are visiting the whales your task will be to explore their habitats and migration patterns. When you are done exploring the following resources, complete the Learning Activity at the bottom of the page.

=Habitat Range and Migration Patterns of the Humpback Whales= Humpback whales, like birds migrate every year. In the summer, the whales perfer the cooler water of the north. In the winter, the whales migrate to the sub-tropical climates. When you explore the following resources think about the following questions: Why do whales migrate? Which oceans do the whales inhabit? Do they prefer to swim in the depths of the ocean or do they prefer to swim closer to shore?

Want to learn more about the humpback whale? Explore the following online resources by clicking on the underlined links:
[|Enchanted Learning - Humpback Whales] Read the sections on Habitat Range and Migration to learn more where the humpback lives and roams. Also look for information on why the humpback migrates.

[|Natioanal Geographic - Humpback Whales] This map of the humpback's range will help you understand how far a humpback travels each year.

[|Siphon and baby dive] During the long summer months, humpback whales travel to cooler northern waters. Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson taped a video of a humpback whale named Siphon and her calf, swimming close to the Canadian shoreline. How did they know the whale's name? Remember, one way humpbacks are identified is by their uniuque color patterns on their flukes. As you watch this short video, be sure you notice some of the whales' swimming behaviors. When swimming, the calf stays close to its mother. This is typical behavior for a humpback calf. Also, the whales are swimming close to the surface and are close to the shore. This is also typical of humpback whales. Another behavior that the video highlights is how the humpback whale dives down into the water. As they dive down, their body arches up, pulling their fluke into the air. To see more whale videos, visit Lamb and Johnson's website on [|Whale Watching].

Learning Activity:
When you are finished exploring the above resources, you are ready to complete the third page of your Whale Journal. Write down some of the interesting information that you have learned about the habitat range and migration patterns of humpback whales on the third page of your journal. You will find some helpful visual aids on the powerpoint slide to help you get started.

Congratulations! After you have finished the 3rd page of the Whale Journal, you are finished with your investigation. Now you can share your Whale Journal with your teacher and classmates. There are two differrent ways that you can share your project: present your information in a Powerpoint slide show or print the journal and create a printed journal. Your can even add a front and back cover to your journal. You decide which format works best for you!