Wildlife
Humpback whales migrate seasonally from the tropics to their northern feeding grounds, and during the summer months they must feed intensely in preparation for this migration. They hunt cooperatively using the ‘bubble net’ strategy where several whales circle underwater emitting a stream of bubbles, which trap fish within an air ring, the whales can then gorge on the contents of their ‘net’. These magnificent whales are renowned for their acrobatic aerial breaching, and their beautiful yet complex songs, performed by males during courtship.
Did you know?
Humpback whales have five metre long flippers that are almost one third of their body length.
Scientific name: Megaptera novaeangliae
Rank: Species
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In isolation
DNA results show that Arabian humpback whales have lived in isolation for 60,000 years.
DNA results show that the Arabian population of humpback whales have not bred with any other whales for 60,000 years.
Sleeping humpbacks
Humpback whales moor themselves in kelp forests to help them sleep.
Humpback whales moor themselves in kelp forests close to shore so that they can sleep. Sleep for a humpback whale involves resting one half of their brain at a time, meaning they do not sleep in the same way that we do. Cameraman Gordon Buchanan reveals this incredible behaviour at night using special camera equipment.
Bottom of the food chain
There are 300 million tonnes of krill in the Southern Ocean.
There are 300 million tonnes of krill in the Southern Ocean.
Rich polar waters
Seabirds and whales take advantage of the cold water feast.
Seabirds and whales take advantage of the cold water feast.
Unusual catch
Scientist Ingrid Visser and team rescue a Humpback whale caught in a fish net.
Scientist Ingrid Visser runs the New Zealand Orca Hotline - taking phone calls from the public when they see killer whales off the coast. However she also helps when other cetaceans are in distress.
The Humpback whale can be found in a number of locations including: Great Barrier Reef, Mediterranean. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Humpback whale distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Population trend: Increasing
Year assessed: 2008
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual 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. An acrobatic animal known for breaching and slapping the water with its tail and pectorals, it is popular with whale watchers off Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada, and the United States.
Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours at a time. Its purpose is not clear, though it may have a role in mating.
Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, humpbacks fast and live off their fat reserves. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net feeding technique.
Like other large whales, the humpback was and is a target for the whaling industry. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a moratorium was introduced in 1966. While stocks have since partially recovered, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution continue to impact the 80,000 humpbacks worldwide.
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Migration
Adapted to swimming
Carnivorous
Courtship display
Acoustic communication
Maternal care
Polygynous
Active at birth
Social
Visual communication
Viviparous
Echolocation and ultrasound