Humpback Whale - PG004

The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Humpback whales belong to the suborder of the whales known as the baleen whales, because they feed by filtering food out of the sea through plates of baleen hanging from the upper jaw. Humpbacks are a medium sized whale, reaching lengths of about 45 feet (14 m). They are distinguished from the other baleen whales by their long pectoral fins, or flippers, which are about 1/3 the length of their bodies.

Humpback whales are the most acrobatic of the baleen whales. They are often seen slapping the water with their flippers or tail or raising their huge heads out of the water in a behavior called spyhopping. Their most dramatic behavior is called breaching. A whale will propel itself completely out of the water and crash back down, sometimes in a belly flop, but sometimes spinning in mid air to land on its back with enormous splash. The reason for this behavior is unknown, but it may be a social behavior, a way of communicating, or just a form or exercise or play. Humpback whales are also the most vocal of baleen whales. On the breeding grounds, males "sing" elaborate songs that are thought to advertise the males fitness to the females, just like bird songs.

Humpback whales breed and calve in the winter in coastal waters in the tropics, in places like Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Summers are spent feeding in Alaska, Antarctica, or the North Atlantic. Humpbacks are believed not to eat when they are winter breeding grounds. In the feeding grounds, they eat mainly small school fish or (in Antarctica) krill. In the North Pacific, groups of up to 40 individuals will cooperate in herding prey fish together, using their flippers, loud noises, and "bubble nets".

Because they are found close to shore, humpback whales have been hunted by ocean-going people throughout history. However, the great decline in their population took place in the 19th Century when commercial whalers decimated first the Atlantic then the Pacific stocks of these whales. Commerical whaling ended in 1970 when humpback whales were declared an endangered species. At that time, it was estimated that the world stock of around 150,000 humpback whales had been reduced to 10,000 to 15,000.

With the end of whaling, humpbacks have been slowly recovering, although they are still endangered. Because humpbacks share coastal habitats with humans, the whales continue to suffer from habitat degradation, pollution, and noise, as well as collisions with ships and interactions with fishing operations. For humpback to recover, it will be necessary to reserve coastal habitats, and to minimize interactions between whales and humans.

How can you help? You can learn more about humpback whales and support the recovery effort. Most importantly, when you are sharing the water with humpback whales, treat them with the respect they deserve by observing them from a distance.