What weighs 40 tons, eats over one ton of food a day but is not afraid to be seen at the beach? Fin and humpback whales! And they are making an appearance in Virginia Beach this winter. From December 27th through March 13th, 2010, you can be witness to humpback or fin whales as they frolic along the our shoreline.
Thanks to the food-rich mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and warm Atlantic Ocean waters, surprisingly acrobatic humpback and fin whales can be seen diving, breaching, spyhopping and lobtailing off our coast each winter. These massive creatures can weigh up to 70 tons, range up to 79 feet long and consume an impressive 1 ½ tons of food each day. With speeds up to 23 mph, humpback and fin whales display amazing behaviors when in search of food and when communicating with other whales.
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