"If you hate to burst my bubble (net), then I'll eat you!". The HUMPBACK WHALE (Megaptera novaeangliae) - maximum card / maxicard / dorincard that I created with an American postcard and a British stamp & postmark

HUMPBACK WHALE

Trust me, it's an EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE pictorial postmark, not so visible because of the dark blue water.

The EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE pictorial postmark is more visible here, on this SPERM WHALE (Physeter macrocephalus) maxicard that I created with an educational card:

Notice the very narrow lower jaw, as you view this Sperm Whale twisting thru the air, in the postcard image.

While we are at it, why don't you get a quick look on the flipside/backside:

Now back to the HUMPBACK WHALE

"The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the largerrorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water. Males produce a complex song, which lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and is repeated for hours at a time. The purpose of the song is not yet clear, although it appears to have a role in mating."

"Humpback whales are rorquals (family Balaenopteridae), a family that includes the blue whale, the fin whale, the Bryde's whale, the sei whale and the minke whale."

"The humpback has the most diverse feeding repertoire of all baleen whales.^[26] Its most inventive technique is known as bubble net feeding: a group of whales swims in a shrinking circle blowing bubbles below a school of prey. The shrinking ring of bubbles encircles the school and confines it in an ever-smaller cylinder. This ring can begin at up to 30 metres (98 ft) in diameter and involve the cooperation of a dozen animals. Using a crittercam attached to a whale's back it was discovered that some whales blow the bubbles, some dive deeper to drive fish toward the surface, and others herd prey into the net by vocalizing.^[27] The whales then suddenly swim upward through the 'net', mouths agape, swallowing thousands of fish in one gulp. Plated grooves in the whale's mouth allow the creature to easily drain all the water that was initially taken in. Solitary humpbacks have also been observed employing this technique.^{[citation needed]"}

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[edit]Summary

Description	Humpback whales in North Pass between Lincoln Island and Shelter Island in the Lynn Canal north of Juneau, Alaska. This is a group of 15 whales that were bubble net fishing on 18 August 2007.
Date	18 August 2007
Source	Own work
Author	Evadb; Edit by jjron.
Permission (Reusing this file)	See below.

This is an edited version of Image:Whales Bubble Net Feeding.jpg; straightened, cropped, adjusted levels, sharpened, noise reduced.

This English Wikipedia featured picture is fairly large and has an aspect ratio of approximately 8:5, 16:10, or 16:9, making it suitable as a widescreen computer wallpaper. See the gallery of such images, or the gallery of non-widescreen images.

[edit]Licensing

I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Whales_Bubble_Net_Feeding-edit1.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_whale

No, I am NOT talking about ex-Gov.Eliot Spitzer here: 

"Usually peduncling takes place among the focal animals (female, escort, challenging male) in a competitive group, apparently as an aggressive gesture. Possibilities include escorts fending off a particular challenging male, females who seem agitated with an escort, or an individual not comfortable with a watching boat's presence. Occasionally, one whale performs a series of dozens of peduncle throws, directed at the same target each time."

"Many reasons have been suggested for breaching. Whales are more likely to breach when they are in groups, suggesting social reasons, such as an assertion of dominance, courting or warning of danger. Scientists have called this theory "honest signalling". The immense cloud of bubbles and underwater disturbance following a breach cannot be faked; neighbours then know a breach has taken place. A single breach costs a whale only about 0.075% of its total daily energy intake, but a long series of breaches may add up to a significant energy expenditure.^[1]

It is also possible that the loud "smack" upon re-entering is useful for stunning or scaring prey. Noisemaking is believed to be the reason for lobtailing. Others suggest that a breach allows the whale to breathe in air that is not close to the surface, which may aid breathing in rough seas. Another widely accepted possible reason is to dislodge parasites from the skin. The behaviour may also be a form of play."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_surfacing_behaviour

==========

Happy Blue Monday! (meme)

Please visit:  http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Yesterday, Lucille Ball ("I Love Lucy") would have been 100 years old. I show you several stamps and maximum cards with her

From where should I get a postmark for the above future maximum card?

Jamestown, New York State, because that's where she was born?

New York City, because that's where this skyscraper big advertisement was, when I photographed it during my anno domini 2000 visit to NYC - World Trade Center and more?

Los Angeles, CA, because that's where she died?

Hollywood, CA, because that's where she built her artistic legacy?

Beverly Hills, CA, because that's where she must have stayed a lot?

Body-sculpting.

Compare Lucille Ball, in the previous image, with Audrey Hepburn, another lovely, classy film icon.

Audrey was much skinnier, so she compensated that by STANCE, POSTURING. :)

Audrey in bikini, staying straight-up, normally, would have been a less glamorous image, perhaps.

Lucille Ball
Pin-up photo from Yank, the Army Weekly
Born	Lucille Désirée Ball August 6, 1911 Jamestown, New York, U.S.
Died	April 26, 1989 (aged 77)[1] Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Lucille Ball Morton[2]
Occupation	Actress, comedian, model, film executive
Years active	1932–1989
Spouse	Desi Arnaz (m. 1940–1960)(divorced) 2 children Gary Morton (m. 1961–1989)(her death)

"Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American comedienne, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy. 

One of the most popular and influential stars in the United States during her lifetime, with one of Hollywood's longest careers,^[3] especially on television, Ball began acting in the 1930s, becoming both a radio actress and B-movie star in the 1940s, and then a television star during the 1950s. 

She was still making films in the 1960s and 1970s. 

In 1962, Ball became the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu; a studio that produced many successful and popular television series.^[4]

Ball was nominated for an Emmy Award thirteen times, and won four times.^[5] 

In 1977 Ball was among the first recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award.^[6] 

She was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986 and the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucille_ball

============

Happy Sunday Stamps meme!

Please visit: http://viridianpostcard.blogspot.com/

It has no claw on the opposable thumbs - Derby's Woolly Opossum (Caluromys derbianus), or the Central American Woolly Opossum. WWF maximum cards / maxicards / dorincards / ilustrate maxime / cartes maximum / tarjetas maximas / Maximumkarten from BELIZE

"Derby's Woolly Opossum (Caluromys derbianus), or the Central American Woolly Opossum, is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae.^[2][3] It is found in the Central American region."

"C. derbianus lives in highland and lowland rain forests of Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador,Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. It's range extends to a maximum altitude of 2,460 m (8,070 ft). It is threatened by habitat loss."

"The litter size is 3-6 live young that attach to a teat in the pouch until mature enough to emerge."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caluromys_derbianus

Why do so many people confuse It's with Its? :)

====================

Belize
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: “Sub Umbra Floreo”  (Latin) "Under the Shade I Flourish"
Anthem: Land of the Free Royal anthem: God Save the Queen
Capital		Belmopan 17°15′N 88°46′W
Largest city		Belize City
Official language(s)		English
Recognised regional languages		Kriol, Spanish, Garifuna,Maya, Plautdietsch
Ethnic groups		Mestizo, Kriol, Maya,Garinagu, Mennonite,Chinese, East Indian,Spanish

"Belize (ⁱ/bəˈliːz/; formerly British Honduras) is a constitutional monarchy, and the northernmost Central American nation. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language. Belize is bordered to the north by Mexico, south and west by Guatemala, and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. Belize’s mainland is about 290 kilometers (180 miles) long and 110 kilometers (68 miles) wide.

With 22,960 square kilometers (8,867 square miles) of land and a population of only 333,200 people (2010 est.),^[4] Belize possesses the lowest population density in Central America.^[5] The country's population growth rate of 2.21% (2008 est.),^[1] however, is the highest in the region and one of the highest in the western hemisphere. Belize's abundance of terrestrial and marine species, and its diversity of ecosystems give it a key place within the globally significant Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.^[6]

Belize is culturally unique among its Central American neighbours; it is the only nation in the region with a British colonial heritage. As a part of the Western Caribbean Zone, however, it also shares a common heritage with the Caribbean portions of other Central American countries. In general, Belize is considered to be a Central American nation with strong ties to both the Caribbean and Latin America."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belize

===================

Happy Pink Saturday! (still open on Sunday!)

^{Please visit "Pretty in pink"/ "Show us your pink" [objects, that is :)] meme here:}

^{http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/}