"It...it...it won't attack us, will it?"
Han Qiwen asked, his voice trembling.
The others were also terrified, their faces pale with worry, fearing that it might suddenly attack.
Even Ah-chan, who had seen whale sharks before, swallowed hard, his legs feeling weak.
Feng Ye said that whale sharks are very docile, and that is indeed the case; they did not attack the Rising Sun at the time.
What about this giant whale?
Will it be as docile as a whale shark?
He had a question mark in his mind, feeling quite uncertain.
"Ah Ye, hurry, hurry, let's get the boat moving and get away from it."
Feng Jialing turned around and urged Feng Ye, who was standing next to him, to hurry up.
"It's alright, everyone, don't be afraid. Humpback whales are very gentle and won't hurt anyone..."
In fact, many large marine creatures are quite docile, such as whale sharks, basking sharks, killer whales, beluga whales, and dolphins.
Humpback whales are one of them.
They don't form large groups, usually traveling in pairs. They are very gentle and affectionate, and adults often express their affection by touching each other.
Feng Ye loudly explained the habits of humpback whales to everyone, and then carefully examined the humpback whale.
Now that we're close enough, we can clearly see the many wart-like protrusions on the back of its head, snout, and upper and lower jaws.
This is a cortical tumor, one of the typical characteristics of humpback whales.
Essentially, they are highly specialized hair follicles with a rich internal nerve supply. They increase in size with age, reaching a diameter of 20-30 centimeters.
Each cortical tumor has 1-2 tactile hairs, each 10-30 mm in length.
Its primary function is likely to sense mechanical stimuli such as vibrations and changes in water pressure.
It is also possible that, like the hair follicles of some dolphins, they possess a certain degree of electro-sensing ability.
In addition, the humpback whale's dorsal fin and the stripes on its back are clearly visible.
Compared to its massive size, its dorsal fin appears remarkably small, sickle-shaped, and hangs low and elegantly.
The markings on its back resemble a natural work of art, arranged in a pleasing and aesthetically pleasing manner.
However, there are also shortcomings in the US-China relationship.
Its skin is covered with a large number of barnacles and other barnacles, and it also carries many suckers, such as remoras.
However, despite the added burden, it seems to have no effect on its actions or emotions.
As it swam, it would occasionally shake its head, as if to greet them.
Even the slightest movement of that enormous head seemed to stir up a giant wave, sending chills down one's spine.
Feng Jialing asked nervously, "You said this is called a humpback whale, is it really not dangerous? Shouldn't we dodge it?"
When we used to go out to sea as a group, we would stay as far away as possible from any large fish we saw.
"I'm afraid they might suddenly go berserk; that would be disastrous."
Despite having heard the explanation, he still felt uneasy with the humpback whale's massive body right beside him.
Ye Chenliang and the others on the lower deck shared the same concerns.
"I think it's better to keep our distance."
"Yes, it's safer to stay further away. Who knows if this whale will suddenly go berserk and attack our ship?"
"Yes, whales are animals after all. Who knows what they're thinking? It's best to be careful."
"This thing is huge, it's terrifying to look at. It's half the length of our ship. If its big tail hits us, we're in big trouble."
"Let's get the boat away from it as soon as possible, far away from it..."
The five boatmen spoke one after another, their faces full of unease.
Feng Ye understood their fears very well.
After all, it's a behemoth that we don't understand, so it's hard for anyone to remain calm.
He shook his head helplessly and said loudly again, "Listen to me, humpback whales are really docile and won't attack people."
It's alright, don't worry.
It will be difficult to encounter humpback whales in the future, let alone observe them at such close range.
This is a rare opportunity, everyone should take a good look and cherish it.
Humpback whales are now an endangered species due to overhunting.
The culprit among them is undoubtedly Xiao Rizi.
As early as 1986, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in order to protect endangered whales.
Despite international opposition, the small-scale whaling operation has continued under the guise of scientific research, including the endangered humpback whale on its kill list.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine. Brother Ye said the whale won't attack us, so it definitely won't."
Ah-Can remained calm and smiled as he spoke.
He believed Feng Ye's explanation without a doubt and was no longer afraid.
He reached out and patted Han Qiwen's shoulder beside him: "Uncle, don't be afraid, trust Brother Ye, we'll be fine."
Han Qiwen swallowed hard, managing a weak smile, but the fear in his eyes was still hard to hide.
He looked at A-Can, then at Feng Ye on the pier.
Seeing that the two of them were so calm, his fear lessened a little.
After Ah-chan finished speaking, he took a few steps forward, leaned on the gunwale, and looked excitedly at the humpback whale next to him.
He even reached out his hand, seemingly wanting to touch the massive body.
Unfortunately, the distance is too far, and it's impossible to meet up.
Even so, he was very excited.
That's a humpback whale!
Such a colossal creature is not something you can see whenever you want.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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