Marine experts to search for Rockaway Beach whale

Graceful and magnificent, Humpback Whales inspire awe in young and old alike. These marine mammals travel great distances to take advantage of the best breeding grounds and feeding spots. North Pacific humpback, for example, mate and give birth in Hawaii and then travel to Alaska each summer to feed.

These gentle giants are famous for their singing abilities — belting out seductive ballads to attract mates or to challenge other would-be suitors. But they also have other talents. Their unique hunting skill, called bubblenet feeding, involves a group of humpbacks working together to capture schools of herring...

Today, scientists know more than ever about the song of the humpback. They know, for instance, that while both male and female humpbacks can produce sounds, only the males appear to produce organized songs with distinct themes and melodies...

A whale was protected as it swam near the Verrazano Bridge Thursday. (NYPD Photo / April 9, 2009) A 20-foot humpback whale has been causing quite a stir in metro-area waters during the last 24 hours. Spotted off Rockaway Beach on Wednesday, the whale headed into New York Harbor early Thursday, only to head back out again, last seen making its way toward Coney Island, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard is maintaining a "safety zone" around the whale in an effort to protect it from boaters and ships - and protect boaters from it.The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation has a team responding to the scene to assess the condition of the whale...

Common knowledge tells us that Humpback whales were killed extensively by whalers from the late 1800's through the first part of the 20th century...