noaasanctuaries: Happy hump(back) day!  Humpback whales, like...

noaasanctuaries: Happy hump(back) day!  Humpback whales, like…

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noaasanctuaries:

Happy hump(back) day! 

Humpback whales, like this one in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, have long flippers with bumps called tubercules on them. These tubercules make the humpback whale flippers more hydrodynamic, increasing humpback whale agility and helping the whales maneuver when catching fish. Researchers are studying this flipper shape to understand how to make more efficient wind turbines! 

(Photo: Dru Devlin/NOAA/Pt. Blue/ACCESS) 

[Image description: A humpback whale on its side at the ocean surface, extending one flipper into the air.]

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