Old Timer Whale, the world’s oldest humpback whale, is a rare 53-year-old mammal diving in the ocean. It was first documented in 1972. This oldest male humpback, with its first-ever photograph, was found to have a distinctive body shape, especially its flukes of the tail, which make it more unique with the scalloped edges and the pattern of coloration with generally black and white sprinkled shaded spots. The male is known for producing complex songs during the winter breeding season.
Image of a Humpback whale, from The New York Times, seen by the Dr Adam Pack on July 29 in Frederick Sound in southeast Alaska. https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/08/20/multimedia/14tb-old-timer-gwtp/14tb-old-timer-gwtp-jumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp
A friendly wave made by its tail became a heartwarming gesture to Dr. Adam Pack as soon he recognized the unique fluke pattern on this old friend seen after a long period of 9 years in Alaska in July this year. Back in 2015, researcher Dr Pack, on the shore in Petersburg, spotted the Old Timer and was worried that due to climate change, oceans are getting warmer, and the food scarcity in the ocean can cause the death of the old humpback like other perished whales and sea creatures. Watching him again was a heartwarming gift. Also, Dr Pack wonders if the Old Timer Age helped him to adapt even to the food scarcity due to plastic pollution in oceans. Though the exact reasons are unknown, Dr Pack eagerly wants to learn and solve the mystery of this oldest humpback survival.
Around 1972, the population of humpback whales drastically depleted but rebounded in later decades. The whales and other creatures are threatened by plastic pollution, severe heat waves, and fish entanglement, and surviving in such drastic conditions; Old Timer glorified its 53 years.
The Pacific Ocean, where multiple whales dwell in the waves, but the Oldest humpback seems to spend its summers in southeastern Alaska, whereas winters in Hawaii. In a rapidly changing environment, diving in the oceans for over five decades, the old-timer becomes a great survivor and symbol of resilience.
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