‘Extraordinary’ sea creature seen off coast of Hawaii. See photo that tells ‘a story’
.jpg "A sea creature was spotted off the coast of Hawaii, researchers said.")
During a survey, researchers in Hawaii got the chance to witness a sea creature whose body told “a story,” officials said.
The “incredible moment” showed a humpback whale’s fluke piercing out of the water in Maui Nui, according to a Jan. 28 Facebook post by the Pacific Whale Foundation.
The curled right side of the tail and the missing tip suggest the whale was previously entangled and suffered an injury, researchers said.
Humpback whales have been known to swim 5,000 miles from tropical grounds to colder grounds for more productive feedings and usually eat small fish, straining huge amounts of water on their baleen plates, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Their flukes can be up to 18 feet wide, pointed at the end, varying in size with different distinctions that can be used as their “fingerprints,” the NOAA said.
Markings like these on the “extraordinary” animals help identify them and allow researchers to record the details in the long-term identification catalogs, officials said.
By tracking these animals, researchers are able to get a deeper understanding of their lives, migration patterns, behaviors and survival rates, officials said.
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 2:06 PM with the headline "‘Extraordinary’ sea creature seen off coast of Hawaii. See photo that tells ‘a story’."