Learn about:
Humpback Whales
Humpback whales are famous for their giant size, long flippers, and beautiful underwater songs! These gentle giants travel thousands of miles across the ocean each year, making some of the longest migrations of any animal on Earth. From powerful tail slapping to haunting songs sung deep beneath the waves, read on to learn all about humpback whales!
7 amazing facts about humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae):
- Humpback whales are enormous! They can grow up to 60 feet long and weigh as much as 40 tons — way bigger than a school bus! But even with their huge bodies, humpbacks are graceful swimmers, gliding through the water.
- Humpbacks have really long arms. Their side-flippers can be up to one-third of their body length, stretching to nearly 15 feet long! These giant fins help them steer, balance, and perform amazing tight turns.
- They're famous musicians. Male humpbacks are known to sing long, complex songs that can last for hours and hours. Scientists think these songs may help attract mates or communicate with other whales across huge distances through the water.
- Every humpback song changes over time. Humpbacks don’t always sing the same songs — their melodies evolve every year. Almost like a musician who changes and gets better as they age! They're also good at singing together: whale populations can learn new songs and sing them together in a sort of whale chorus.
- Humpbacks are pro athletes. Despite their massive size, humpback whales can leap completely out of the water in a behavior called breaching. Scientists think breaching may help them communicate and remove parasites. Or, they're just having fun!
- Humpbacks work together to catch food. Humpback whales sometimes work together using a clever strategy called bubble-net feeding. They blow rings of bubbles underwater to trap fish in one spot before swimming up to eat them in one big gulp.
- Humpback whales travel incredible distances every year. They migrate thousands of miles between cold feeding waters and warm breeding areas. Some humpbacks complete one of the longest migrations of any mammal on Earth.
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Humpback whale tails are giant... and totally unique.
Their tails, called flukes, can be over 15 feet wide. Whales sometimes slap their huge tails against the top of the water, called lob-tailing. Just like fingerprints, the black-and-white patterns on the underside of each humpback’s fluke are unique.
Humps on their backs
The name "humpback" comes from the large hump located right in front of the whale's dorsal fin on their back. The hump is clearest just before humpback whales dive deep into the water, arching their backs for the dive.
Not one, but TWO blowholes!
When a humpback surfaces, it pushes air out through two blowholes at once, creating a tall, misty spray called a blow. Baleen whales, like humpbacks, have two blow holes; other types of whales, like dolphins, only have one.
The Big-Winged New Englander
The scientific name of the humpback whale is Megaptera novaeangliae. In Greek and Latin, that means "Big Wing" and "New England" - likely because humpback whales have especially long side fins and they were first documented by modern scientists in New England waters.
Humpback whales eat a lot of tiny food using a giant mouth.
They feast on krill and small fish by gulping huge amounts of water and food at once. Then they push the water back out through special plates called baleen, trapping the food inside — like a giant ocean strainer!
Tail Fingerprints
Each humpback whale has its own unique tail markings - a great way for scientists to keep track of these giants as they travel across the ocean!
