Scientific name
Megaptera novaeangliae
Where does it get its name?
The scientific name for the humpback whale is inspired by its long pectoral fins! Megaptera, can be translated to mean “big-winged.” It gets its common name from the distinct “hump” in front of the dorsal fin.
Whale SENSE Region Found:
ALASKA
ATLANTIC
ALASKA
- Central American DPS
- Endangered
- Mexico DPS
- Threatened
- Hawaiian DPS
- Not at Risk
ATLANTIC
- West Indies DPS
- Not at Risk
Protected throughout its range
Depleted populations: Western North Pacific stock, Central North Pacific stock, California/Oregon/ Washington stock
Protected throughout its range
Where to watch:
Open ocean and nearshore
What to watch for:
Blow: Spout is usually short and bushy in appearance.
Diving: Typically flukes (lifts its tail out of the water) prior to a sounding dive.
Body: Humpback whales’ bodies are primarily dark, with differing amounts of white on their pectoral fins, their bellies, and the undersides of their flukes (tails).
Associations: Often solitary, but also may be found traveling in small groups. Known to cooperatively feed in groups of 3 to over 20 humpback whales.
Surface activity: Humpbacks are known for their acrobatic displays, including breaching, tail slapping and flipper slapping. Learn more in this humpback behavior ethogram!
Feeding
Humpback whales primarily feed during the summer months in the higher latitudes. They mostly feed on krill (small shrimp-like crustaceans) and small schooling fishes (i.e., herring, sand lance, and capelin) by straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates.
Mating and Calving
Humpback whales migrate to lower latitudes during the winter months to mate and to have their calves. On average, females will have a single calf every 2 to 3 years. However, annual caving has been documented in some individuals. Gestation is approximately 11 months. Calves are an average of 15 feet long and up to a ton in weight. Calves will nurse from and stay near to their mothers for up to one year before weaning. While calves are not believed to maintain long-term associations with their mothers, they are more likely to be found in the same regions of the feeding and breeding grounds as their mothers.
Did you know?
The song of the humpback whale can mostly be heard during the breeding season and is only sung by males. It is considered a song because it is composed of a complex series of sounds that repeat over and over. The song is about 20 minutes in duration, but can be sung on repeat for hours. All singers within a population will sing the same version at any time, but its composition can change over time. While its purpose is not yet known, research suggests that it likely plays a large role in male-male interactions rather than female-male interactions.
What do humpback whales sound like?
Threats to humpback whales
