Humpback whales sleeping and exhaling in Wilhemina Bay on a calm afternoon in the fall. Scientists from the Duke Marine Lab were astounded by the number of whales feeding in a few bays that remained ice free, and believe it is the greatest concentration of humpbacks on the planet. On this day the science team counted over 80 whales. One possibility is that the whales are staying longer in the Antarctic and continuing to feed as long as the bays remain ice free. Since scientists have never looked for humpbacks this late in the season, they don't know if this is an unintended consequence of climate change, or typical behavior that has never been observed by humans.
