By Captain Dave

Did you know . . .

• Humpback whales spend most of their life beneath the ocean: many times only coming to the surface briefly to catch a breath of fresh air for their next deep dive.
• Humpback whales have the ability hold their breath underwater for more than 45 minutes!
• Aiding in their impressive dive times are special substances in the whales' bloodstream and muscle tissue which hold and release oxygen as needed.
• The humpbacks you spot on your Maui whale watch do not have teeth, but a hair like substance called baleen which is used to filter food and water into their digestive system.
• Using their baleen plates, humpbacks can easily consume thousands of pounds of food every day.
• However, Hawaiian waters contain virtually no food for humpbacks to eat; causing the whales to fast for their entire four to six month stay here.
• While in Hawaiian waters, humpbacks live off the nutrients stored in their fat/blubber, making sure they stay healthy even without any solid meals.

Watch this space for more great marine life trivia brought to you by the Hawaiian Ocean Project!