Nowadays, humans live in complex structures and societies where rules, customs, and principles imprint on their daily lives. This enables a good coexistence and makes it possible for us to develop ourselves further every day.
Also, over the many centuries of human history, we were able to develop huge technical and scientific achievements and breakthroughs that resulted in an advanced community life.
Since humans have these traits, one could assume that they do not have anything in common with the behavior of animals. This assumption would be wrong since there are indeed shared traits and commonalities between the human species and animals. Herd animals also have a hierarchy system, for example, the pecking order, that determines their lives. Another similarity is that a lot of animals also have a central nerve system, which makes them very intelligent. Besides that, they have feelings like fear, happiness, or loyalty.
Also, in the most unexpected areas of life, humans share similarities with animals. While humans are dancing because they feel happy and want to express their joy or emotions in general, animals are dancing as well. Most of their ”dances” are not performed out of happiness, but they are performed to communicate with their conspecifics or enemies. One of these “dancing” animals is the humpback whale.

The whale, which is commonly called the humpback, can travel long distances in the ocean. Its scientific name is Megaptera novaeangliae, which means “big wing of New England.” It is called that because they have huge fins that almost look like wings and can reach a length of up to almost 5 meters. Whalers from Europe saw them for the first time off the coast of New England.
The humpback whale’s back is dark, and their bellies are light. They received their name because of a little hump that is located in front of their dorsal fins. Also, on their throats, there are pleats.

Humpback whales are mammals, and they are omnivores, which means that their diet can consist of animal flesh or plants. This fact makes it easier for them to find food. They can grow to a length of 14 meters to about 19 meters and reach up to 40 tons in weight. On the red list of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), they are under the “least concern” section, which means that they are at a low risk of extinction. Also, their population trend is increasing. Furthermore, the humpback whale can not only be found in one ocean but in every world ocean.

A characteristic trait of the humpback whale is its mesmerizing song, which can travel big distances under the water. Their songs consist of a variety of cries, howls, and many more noises. These combinations of different noises make the songs really complex, and they hold on for many hours. Marine biologists and other scientists try to decode the songs and the meanings behind them. The most probable explanation for the music they make is that they use their singing as a tool of communication and to find potential mates. The communication form that takes place between a humpback calve and the mother is described as “whispering”.

The humpback whale can be found close to the coast. Their food usually consists of pankton, tiny fish, or krill, which is similar to shrimp. Every year, humpback whales leave their summer feeding grounds, which are located close to the poles, and migrate to warmer waters where they can breed during the winter period. These waters are located close to the Equator. Also, when the mother humpback whales swim next to their calves, they slightly touch their flippers, which seems to be an affectionate gesture. Humpbacks grow until they reach the age of 10, then they are adults. They can age up to 90 years. For about a year, humpback females nurse their babies.

The “dance” of the humpback whale describes an interaction that describes one of the final stages in their mating process. They show their attraction by performing twists, rolls, underwater loopings, and just diving around each other. Their movements are gracious, even though one would not assume that regarding their big body mass. Just like in general research and discoveries about whales, this phenomenon is only a little explained, and the meaning behind it can just be guessed up to this day.

Sources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/humpback-whale
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnivore
https://oceana.org/marine-life/humpback-whale/
https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/eight-of-natures-grooviest-dancing-animals
https://www.careelite.de/gemeinsamkeiten-mensch-und-tier/#bewusstsein