Imagine trying to survive in oceans all around the world. For many animals, a habitat like this would be impossible. Yet the humpback whale, a mammal up to 16 meters long, thrives there, thanks to features that scientists call adaptations: traits that help a living thing survive in its environment.
Consider baleen plates instead of teeth: this adaptation strain tiny animals out of huge gulps of seawater. The word baleen refers to comb-like plates in a whale's mouth that filter food. Equally important is a blowhole on top of its head, which lets it breathe air without lifting its whole head out of the water. Without these traits, the humpback whale would struggle to last a single season.
As a carnivore, the humpback whale is an animal that eats other animals; it depends on krill and small fish. Its behavior matters as much as its body: it travels thousands of kilometers each year between cold feeding waters and warm waters where calves are born. Behaviors like this are adaptations too, even though you cannot see them in a photograph.
The next generation faces the same challenges. Young humpback whales, called calves, depend on their surroundings and on adult care. A newborn calf drinks its mother's milk and can gain about 45 kilograms a day.
Perhaps most remarkable of all: male humpbacks sing long, complex songs that can be heard many kilometers away. Facts like this remind us that every animal's body tells a story about the place it lives.